It’s that time of year again – the hustle, the bustle, the fast pace of the holiday season. Between parties and planning and gift buying, we have an overly full plate most of the time. We can find ourselves searching for the “PERFECT” gift for each of the loved ones on our list. You may find yourself spending hours combing the internet or driving between multiple stores to seek out that special gift that represents how much you appreciate that person. For me, there have been many holiday seasons where I have shopped and shopped and shopped and still couldn’t find what I was looking for. Why does that happen? Sometimes I shop and immediately find everything on my list, but many times I hit a dead end.
Has that ever happened to you? Your intentions are good, you weren’t going to these lengths for the perfect gift for yourself. You are on this search because you truly want your loved one to feel special. But why is it that sometimes we cannot find what we are looking for? Why is it that your efforts of kindness and giving suddenly feel like a chore? Let’s ponder this for a minute. When we are DOING instead of BEING, sometimes it feels harder and takes more effort. I have realized that in being attached to the outcome, which in this case is a gift, I am limiting the possibilities that could happen in really bringing the joy to the person I wanted to touch. However, when I let myself BE, with no intentions, the greatest miracles happen.
I attended a church service once where we heard discussion about our Plan A versus our Plan B. Have you ever thought about Plan A versus Plan B when it comes to the holidays?
Plan A in most cases could be shopping for the PERFECT gift. But what if Plan B was even better?
What if that PERFECT gift was YOU! Show up to your friends and family and those that are most important to you as who YOU are.
Here is an example from my life. I was on a mission to seek out the perfect gift but was struggling to find it and getting frustrated. While we were out shopping, my son saw a gingerbread house and asked, “Mommy, can we buy this please?” I hesitated, thinking that nobody eats gingerbread in our house and this definitely was not the present on my list, but I saw the look in his eye and knew I needed to go with this Plan B.
The result? We created some amazing memories because I was open to being present and noticing what was really important. My plan A turned into the absolute best Plan B and a memory we will never forget.
As we head into the holidays and the final few weeks of the year, I hope you remember that sometimes the best PRESENT is the gift of YOU! Be present and enjoy all the beautiful moments this holiday season.