6 priceless gifts you deserve to give yourself this holiday and beyond.
Deck the halls, spruce up the tree, and put yourself on the gift list.
Here we are. The time of year we get swept up in the quest for child-like magic. Kidnapped by nostalgia, we give in to the frenzy and push our bank accounts and sanity to the brink. Who doesn't want to recapture the wonderment? Trying to recreate a feeling we remember so well in the sounds of music, the scent of gingerbread, and our favorite traditional movies. It’s a deep longing to return to the warmth and comfort of innocent belief.
This season, before you expend your kindness and generosity on everyone around you, put yourself on the list. Sure you can pick out the softest robe on the rack or finally get the essential oil diffuser you gave all your girlfriends last year. But these 6 pivotal gifts don’t cost you a dime, and fill your cup with inspiration for a new year like never before.
The gift of Patience: We can be a patient person with everyone else, but ruthless when it comes to expectations we set for ourselves. If something on a to-do list takes longer than you thought, do you feel suddenly behind? Sometimes deadlines are arbitrary. Take a step back to remember, some things take time. Shifting into patience takes a little awareness and compassion. Life has its own timing, forcing you to take a break, take a breath, and let things unfold.
The gift of Priority: Some days you just have to put yourself first. The only way to do that is learning the freedom that comes from the beautiful word “no”. Reclaim yourself by connecting to your inner toddler. We’ve all had those experiences, you come through something only to realize that you’re spent. Completely tapped out. Time and energy are precious resources needing to be protected. It’s liberating to realize saying no to someone's wants is saying yes to your own needs.
The gift of Forgiveness: Falling short of an accomplishment or failing at a goal is part of growth. You don't have to be perfect. You only have to show up and do the best you can. The best you know how to do at any given moment. Even if we aren’t especially proud of something we did or said, we still deserve to forgive ourselves. We deserve to try again without the burden of our own harsh criticism. In forgiveness we extinguish regret. “To err is human, to forgive divine”.
The gift of Clarity: One of our most crippling mindsets is overwhelm. Some brains are hardwired for it. Our decision making capabilities are easily shut down when flooded with choices. We get caught up in overthinking every option; there is all thought and no action. Like a stream that just needs a little flow to keep from freezing, the only way through is movement. Taking action gets you clear on your wish, desire, solution, and truth. Once you get a glimmer of clarity you gain a bigger vision. With vision you gain direction. From direction, intrinsic motivation. From motivation a precision of purpose.
The gift of Truth: The lines get blurred under the influence of our surroundings. It can be difficult to distinguish what is mine and what is theirs. The water can get muddied as we “just keep swimming”. It takes some time and experience to really know ourselves. Take a deep dive. Are you aligned with the truth of who you are and what you want? Even if we listen to our instinct, it takes courage to follow through. Yet coming full heartedly into our truth ignites our fire. It rekindles our passion. We are moved toward a life on our own terms.
The gift of Perspective: A shift in the way we see things can propel us. It’s how we appreciate the greatness of what we have. OR decide to change what we no longer want. At times, we have to reflect with a little distance to yield the meaning of the moment. Sometimes zooming out can broaden our awareness. To see with new eyes and gather an understanding. It is why traveling is so important. It opens us to unlimited realities. We learn and connect to the world beyond our own culture.
What fits you best in this oversized holiday? The best things don’t require wrapping or funding. What other transformative gifts are you ready to give yourself … hope, rest, love, joy? These are the gifts that keep giving. When you change your relationship with yourself, you change your relationship with the world.
