With Christmas upon us, give those you love the gift of appreciation—appreciation for the thought behind their gift giving rather than for the substance of their gift. Call it the fine art of gift acceptance; showing appreciation regardless of the gift. Showing appreciation for their effort is the important thing.
The holidays are a stressful time for many; trying to be the perfect mother, father, husband, wife, daughter, son, etc. can truly drive anyone crazy. Add to that the stress on parents to make this “the most wonderful Christmas” for their kids. And, add to that the current economic climate—is this starting to sound like a formula for disaster? And you wonder why people have such short tempers during the season of giving.
This Christmas, be determined to offer a sincere thank you to every person in your life that cares enough about you to present you with a gift—even if you already have ten just like it. Also, drop the “oh it’s too expensive,” just offer a genuine smile and a heart felt thank you. The gift giver will so appreciative and will be empowered to feel much better about their gift decision.
Do this and your loved ones will love and appreciate you more. Do this and you’ll eliminate one of the most frequent causes of conflict during the holidays. Do this and you’ll be so, so, so glad you did.
I wish you a very Merry Christmas and please, let Christmas 2009 be memorable for all the right reasons.
Ed Rigsbee
