The art of giving and receiving

In this season of giving, the flip side of receiving comes into focus as well. I have a question to ask and want you to take a moment to really think about the answer: when you give, do you give in anticipation of what you will receive in return? Is generosity a quid pro quo?

If so, I will argue that you will never get back what you give in equal measure and that you will never receive everything there was to get from the act of giving. Value is relative; give a gift worth $100 to a poor man and it has great value. Give a $100 gift to a rich man and it has little or no value. Sports tickets given to a true fan will be met with gratitude; given to a fashionista or a bookworm and those tickets will be met with scorn. So a gift that has great value to you may not have the same value to another. If the receiver gives a gift to you that shows the regard with which they hold your gift, you will be disappointed in what you get because it will not measure up in your mind.

I have an alternative to suggest- give a gift just to give, to show the other person that you have thought about them and want to bring them a moment of happiness. The joy that comes with true generosity far outweighs anything anyone could give you. It is a warmth that comes from the soul that makes a return gift a moot point. It is a feeling that will never disappoint and any gift you receive in return an added bonus.

The warmth that comes from generosity feeds your life in so many ways and makes you a nicer person to be around. It is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Think of Scrooge at the end of Dickens' A Christmas Carol as opposed to how he was at the beginning. He took the joy he felt and spread it to everyone, with a far bigger impact than mere material gifts could have. Generosity fed his love, for both himself and his fellow man. And isn't love the one thing this world always needs more of?

When someone gives you a gift, instead of judging the weight of a person's regard by the gift they give, look at the act of giving behind it and appreciate it. See the generosity and love behind the gift. I know the phrase "it's the thought that counts" is tired, but that does not make it any less true.

Tune in to the spirit of the season and Christmas will be richer and fuller than you could ever imagine.