This holiday season, I invite you to BE the GIFT.
For many of us gifting is part of the fabric of holiday traditions during December. I have struggled with this over the years, feeling anxious about getting just the right gift. Remember the book “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman? He describes gift giving, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, and physical touch as ways we express and prefer to receive love in action. Well, gift giving is not one of my love languages! Fortunately, I have begun to experience a much deeper level of gift giving and receiving.
I look for the gift in connection and spirit of generosity infused in the process of giving and receiving. My favorite ingredient in my holiday cookies and meals is my intention for peace and joy for each recipient of my offering. I accept the abundance others present. We exchange our gifts of time, talents, and treasures. I enjoy sharing a smile, authentic conversation, compassion, inspiration and wisdom. I am reminded of a quote from David Augsburger:
“Being listened to is so closely related to being loved that most people do not know the difference.”
When I open fully to receiving the delight and generosity behind a gift, I give another person the chance to share their essence. I provide an opportunity for them to shine, to express their Divine essence, to remember that they are spirit having a human experience. I honor and validate the giver.
If I withhold my gifts from the world through false humility or playing small, I am denying another person my time, talent and treasure. It takes courage to offer my gifts openly. Writing my new book and releasing it as a gift into the world this year was scary. I can feel vulnerable and exposed. What if I, not just a material gift, am rejected? Tossed aside? I remind myself the true gift I offer is my presence. When I don’t dismiss myself, and embrace and share my strengths, gifts, passions and talents, I invite others to do the same.
In fact, we ARE the gift!
As Marianne Williamson reminds us:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond
measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that
most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God!
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world!
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that
other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God
that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence
automatically liberates others.
