CHRISTMAS is synonymous with giving gifts to family and friends. There are many things we can learn from this ageold tradition.
The first lesson? That happiness lies in the act of giving. Who do you think is happier? The giver or receiver? The receiver would definitely be happy, especially if it is something he or she likes.
And the giver will also be happy to know that his or her effort is appreciated.
It doesn’t have to be an expensive gift. What counts is the appreciation and happiness that the receiver shows after receiving the gift.
How can we keep this tradition alive for the rest of the year? It’s very easy. Whenever you feel unhappy, stressed or sad, one of the best and fastest ways to uplift yourself again is to find someone in need and give something to that person. The gift can come in many forms. It can be useful items, cash, or even a smile.
The receivers can be your family members, neighbours, colleagues, friends or acquaintances. Just give a small amount or as much as you can afford and wait for the “return.” The return is nothing less than a big smile on your face knowing that you have done something great to help another human being.
GIFT FROM GOD
The second lesson is linked to parenting. We are dealing with one of the best gifts any parent can ever receive — our children. Children are indeed a gift from God.
No matter what we receive from God, we must rest assured that they are what’s best for us. We must be thankful every single day for the gifts.
As parents, it is our job to make sure that we take care of the gifts to the best of our ability. We must make sure that we upgrade our skills as our gifts are going to change with time. Our kids will grow bigger and older so our parenting skills need to grow as well. Parents are responsible for keeping up with the changing times and must stay ahead of potential issues and problems that their kids may go through.
GIVING WITHOUT EXPECTATIONS
The third lesson is about giving without expectations.
I call this concept “give before you receive.” I have personally experienced many great returns when I least expect them.
For example, I wa s once approached by an organisation seeking donations for an orphanage. I was touched by its efforts and I gave generously, not expecting anything in return. But, a few days later, I received an offer of a job that paid exactly the same amount! It was actually an old client whom I had forgotten about. He couldn’t do the project before as there was no budget but out of the blue he said he received some funding and thought of reviving the project with me.
Deep inside I knew it was “divine intervention” because God has promised that the more you give, the more you will receive. I took the job happily and thanked God for the unexpected offer.
Just as I thought that was it, I received another call offering a similar job. This time, the amount was much bigger. A few weeks later, I received yet another email for one of the biggest jobs I had ever received. I couldn’t help but link all these things to the small donation I gave. As I calculated the total value, it was about 40 times more than what I had given. I felt very small but really blessed.
That increased my commitment to give more. Such is the power of giving. You can never go wrong by giving to others. You will learn that happiness is for the giver not the receiver. You will also learn that it is our duty to protect that gift from God.