BEST GIFT EVER - Give it to OTHERS Today!
The greatest gift you can give someone you admire and care about is free. Won’t cost you a single penny. All it will cost you is a little of your time to capture why you think so highly of this person. What you’d really be doing is providing evidence that you BELIEVE IN THEM, and I can think of no greater honor. When you believe in someone, what you’re saying is that you trust and admire them to the point of using the best parts of their life as a model for your own. Today, right now you have the perfect opportunity to declare that this person provides great value not only to you, but to our entire world as well which is proven in the book “The Butterfly Effect” by Andy Andrews.
Truth is, there’s not a single gift you can purchase at a store, nor shopping online, that would have an impact even close to the value of you taking the time to share with someone why their life means so much to yours. And please…PLEASE don’t wait until this golden opportunity fades away. While I love hearing stories about the positive impact a person had on individuals and the community at their funeral, I find myself wondering what those words may have meant had they been spoken while they were still here. Think deeply about what I just said. Would those words have inspired and encouraged them to keep doing the things that made them special? Would those words have had a direct impact on OTHER people made aware of their awesomeness and provided a model that they too could pursue?
Have you ever wished there was a button you could push that provided you INSTANT JOY? Well…good news…THERE IS and it’s right here, right now! Writing down all the reasons you greatly admire someone causes an immediate release of serotonin (the natural internal chemical that brings us joy and makes us feel good). All it takes is action and I’ll even toss in some guidance to get you started.
You can begin by devoting some uninterrupted time into developing the specific reasons of how this person has positively impacted your life. Focus on all their “good points.” Jot down some reminder notes on a blank sheet of paper for later referral. As your list grows, you can utilize the bullet-point approach, the story approach, or a combination of the two. Then share all that you’ve put together with the person. It’s really that simple. THEN…choose another person and do it for them. Repeat this process over and over and prepare to feel better than you ever have before. Big Bonus: The long-term impact of doing this is that you initiate the process of becoming a professional “Good Finder” focused on looking for the good in ALL people.
In the title of this article, I utilized the term “Best Gift.” Here’s why. Last year, a person I greatly admire wrote a letter to his Father-in-law (FIL). He shared with me all the positive emotions and feelings he experienced as he wrote down all the reasons his FIL had meant so much to his life. He said it was right up there with what he felt on his wedding day and when each of his children were born. He felt so overwhelmed with joy the whole experience provided; he presented what he had written to his FIL as a gift on Father’s Day. His FIL was overwhelmed and claimed it to be the Best Gift he had ever been given.
Realizing the benefits of what he had done, he went on to utilize this process, first with all the people he loved. Then he took it to work, sharing his thoughts with co-workers he admired and being specific as to how his life had been positively impacted by them. Then he took it to his friends and other members of the community. In every instance he was handing out massive amounts of encouragement to the recipients by letting them know how much he believed in them. The lesson he learned by embracing this process was that it created a win/win/win. He realized that he wins, the nominee wins, and the entire world wins!
My dream? Finding a way to capture the stories that blossom from all of you that take the time to embrace this incredible gift that you can give to others and maybe more importantly, a gift that you can give yourself. I’d love to capture the tears, the warm embraces, the compassion, and the purest and most genuine love that will occur in the special moments. As I said above, there’s not a single gift you can purchase at a store, nor shopping online, that would have an impact even close to the value of you taking the time to share with someone why their life means so much to yours.
What you choose to do right now is critically important to both you and the people that have had a positive impact on your life. Take a few moments and allow yourself to enjoy all the good that someone has brought to your life. Then begin to capture on paper all that good and figure out the most comfortable way for you to share it with them. If you choose your spouse, be prepared to fall in love all over again. If it’s your parents or kids, be prepared to experience a deeper love for them that you never knew existed. If you choose others, know that your relationship will grow and improve. Repeat this process as often as you can with as many as you can. You’ll never regret it and the entire world will be a better place as soon as you do. Remember: Hey…I Believe In YOU! GiddyUp!