“Gift giving…”

-


 

Shared by Breanne Smedley

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, with it being the holiday season.

Gift-giving stresses me out.

In fact, I think I’m a pretty terrible gift-giver.

Right now, I have a list of names that I need to buy for on my phone.

And every time I think about it, instead of getting excited, I feel overwhelmed.

Not because I don’t love giving.

It’s the gift part.

I want it to be perfect.

I want each present to be thought out.

Something that isn’t on the person’s “list,” but is exactly what they’ve always wanted.

They just don’t know it yet.

“But what if they don’t like it?” I go back and forth in my head.

Guess I’ll just stick to the list they gave me.

That seems boring. They could just buy it themselves!

Writing that out, I can see how much pressure I put on myself when it comes to gift-buying.

I think some of it stems from my own thoughts on gifts.

In fact, when my family asked me for a Christmas list this year, I told them I want people to give me the gift of taking things OUT of my house, rather than giving me more things.

Gifts seem trivial to me sometimes.

My dad and I share the same birthday month. One year, we both gifted each other gift cards to the same place, in the same amount.

“I guess we could have just saved our money!” We both joked.

Further, if I wanted something, I would have just bought it myself.
I suppose I think other people do the same?

Before my family reads this and determines that I’m ungrateful and get absolutely nothing for Christmas this year, there is one gift that I am seeking above all else this holiday season.

Time.

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older.
Because I have a family now.
And a lot of things that strive for my attention.

But I’ve realized that time is absolutely the most precious gift that I could get or give.

Time with my family.
Time with my friends.
Time to workout.
Time in nature.
Time by myself.

I can buy the knife set that I put on my Christmas list for my family.
And if I’m honest, I really don’t need another pair of Lululemon leggings…

Nothing can buy the joy that I get from time devoted to the things and people that I love.

In my opinion, it’s the best gift there is.

That, and another mini flashlight from Rick Smedley. #SafetyFirst!

===

#IntegrallyRelational

 Check out what we're up to now!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“Choosing Happiness…”

-
  Shared by Kristina Smedley “Choosing Happiness…” Early in my career, I had dreams of one day working in a prestigious high rise building, in the middle of a bustling city. Of wearing fancy clothes to work every day. Of having an authority position, making good money, and being seen as a success. I would go out to small local restaurants for lunch and attend networking events and professional happy hours after work. This was my idea of a fulfilling career… of one where I would be happy every day. Now, 14 years after graduating from college, I’m not leaving this career. Not at all! And I have to admit… I’m so thankful. So far, I’ve done some pretty cool things in my career… traveled to many different countries to meet with customers, mentored, and coached others, setup organizational operating models, and (the best part) had the opportunity to build cultures and environments where our teammates thrive!  I’ve learned over time that the fame and glory, the fancy office buildings...
Read more

"Just GET STARTED..."

-
Image
  Shared by Kristina Smedley When  Breanne Smedley  and I first stepped out on this Mindfluent® Leadership journey (2 years ago!), I was envisioning that we would create a philosophy, become certified coaches, and go out and find 1:1 coaching clients.   We would (hopefully) positively impact their lives and that impact would create positive ripples through their families, teams, and communities.   I wasn’t really sure how to do any of that, but it’s the model we had been exposed to. So, it’s the model we started building from.   Leadership Philosophy ✅ Professional Coaching Training ✅ Practice 1:1 Coaching ✅ Then came the part of getting 1:1 clients.   And we quickly realized that we didn’t want to spend hours upon hours going to networking events, reaching out to our network for coffee dates, asking for referrals, and more to secure one single client. Then, spending hours with just one client.   I’m not looking down on this model, ...
Read more

“Does your face light up…?”

-
Image
  Shared by Breanne Smedley One of my greatest fears as a parent is that I will somehow ruin my future relationship with my daughter. That what I intentionally or unintentionally do now will cause long-term resentment or a broken relationship. That if I only knew now, that I could change something. It causes me to second guess myself. “Am I doing it right?” “Should I have responded to her that way when she threw her broccoli on the floor?” “Put your phone away, she shouldn’t see you on your phone.” “Or maybe she should, so she can see how to have a healthy relationship with a phone.” “Am I telling her ‘no’ too often? I should start saying ‘yes’ every once in a while.” It can feel exhausting. Charlee is only one, yet I’m already looking towards the teenage years with fear. I want to raise her to know she is strong, capable, brave, and loved. I want to develop curiosity and empathy in her. I want her to feel empowered to use her voice and influence to do what brings her joy and creat...
Read more