If you’re celebrating Christmas, then you’re likely spending time, energy, and money to think about, choose, and then purchase a gift for those special people in your life. Do you know that giving gifts is a highly charged area of activity that can bring disappointment to both sides of the coin – the gift giver and the gift receiver?
Never thought of it, although I’m pretty sure you’ve had at least one experience in your life with this either end of gift giving. Recently there was a news story about a New York policeman giving a pair of new work boots to a shoeless beggar on the street. Someone took a video of this happening on her phone and then uploaded it to the internet. It went viral. It brought people joy to see this selfless act, because the policeman didn’t know someone was watching, less recording his actions.
It was heart warming.
It’s been a few weeks and I guess some reporters were very curious about the story behind the homeless man. They found out recently, that he is in fact not homeless. He has an apartment. He’s not wearing the boots. He’s still walking around shoeless.
Now, there’s debate concerning the value of the gift and about gratitude and also, in the background, attitude. There is disappointment about the lack of gratitude.
So let’s come back to the act of gift giving. When you give something to someone, are you attaching conditions to it? You’ve just gone out on the limb perhaps to get something for someone that you think they’ll like. You feel obligated to buy something for all those people you love.
Do you realize that you won’t have any control over how the recipient is going to feel about receiving that gift from you. Even if you’ve done your research. Because most people don’t really know deep down in their heart, what they really want. And if they’re honest with themselves and with others, it may not even be things, at all.
So when you give something away to someone, truly GIVE it away. No conditions. No second thoughts. Give freely. That means the other person can do whatever they want with your gift. This includes using it, not using it, trashing it, or giving it away, donating it, etc. Once it’s in THEIR hands, it’s no longer your responsibility or your possession. It’s theirs to do what they wish with it.
Get over it.
By the same token, don’t feel guilty or bad if you don’t like something that someone has given you. Likely there is someone, either someone you know or a stranger, who would love to have it.
Just be nice. Say thanks. Be grateful that someone took the time to care and think enough about you to put out that effort. You’ll feel better.
Be well, Be Happy, BE YOU!
Dr. Joanny Liu, TCMD, RAc, P.Eng. Dr Joanny Liu “Best Selling Author and founder of Extraordinary Sports Medicine, where we help athletes reverse injury, get back in the game they love and improve their quality of life.” Best selling book at: Heal Your Concussion: How to Quickly and Effectively Get Back in the Game Remember, we’ve got two books about healing concussions in Amazon: Knock OUT Concussions, Heal Your Concussion: 21 Days to Brain Health, and Dr. Joanny’s new book, Heal Your Concussion: How to Quickly and Effectively Get Back in the Game is NOW live on Amazon!
