My little message on gift-giving...
When it comes to giving gifts, make taking care of yourself the starting point. Then joyfulness will emerge. I think of gift-giving as a way to share my abundance.
Real abundance comes from being able to effectively take care of yourself. If you share when you have not taken care of your own needs first, you will not experience the joy of gift-giving because you will not be doing it from a place of abundance.
(I'm talking about the real joy, not the fake, processed, contrived...hoping "I'll feel good because I'm making others happy" stuff.... which if I'm really breaking it down, is not really joy.)
It's also important to note that gift-giving comes in many forms... time, attention, hospitality, support, thoughtful words, presence and of course, actual gifts.
When you are not feeling abundant, you will inevitably overspend or overdo to compensate or cover up all of your feelings of lack. Lack has a way of tainting even the best intentions.
For me, it seems any time I give before I take care of my own needs and responsibilities those are the gifts that go unappreciated, get lost in the mail, get returned, cause immense stress or simply get pushed to the side. In all truth, I usually get sick after giving from this place.
Lack repels all the good. Self-care allows the holy.
On the other hand, my dearest friend is excellent at taking care of herself. She only shares from her overflow or abundance. Every gift she gives, whether it's her time, support or a physical gift, feels energetically Divine and sacred. I immensely cherish her gifts the most.
It is so much more powerful to do what is best for your well-being.. ie getting enough sleep and sticking to a budget, then you will have more to give... always.
When it comes to giving gifts, make taking care of yourself the starting point. Then joyfulness will emerge. I think of gift-giving as a way to share my abundance.
Real abundance comes from being able to effectively take care of yourself. If you share when you have not taken care of your own needs first, you will not experience the joy of gift-giving because you will not be doing it from a place of abundance.
(I'm talking about the real joy, not the fake, processed, contrived...hoping "I'll feel good because I'm making others happy" stuff.... which if I'm really breaking it down, is not really joy.)
It's also important to note that gift-giving comes in many forms... time, attention, hospitality, support, thoughtful words, presence and of course, actual gifts.
When you are not feeling abundant, you will inevitably overspend or overdo to compensate or cover up all of your feelings of lack. Lack has a way of tainting even the best intentions.
For me, it seems any time I give before I take care of my own needs and responsibilities those are the gifts that go unappreciated, get lost in the mail, get returned, cause immense stress or simply get pushed to the side. In all truth, I usually get sick after giving from this place.
Lack repels all the good. Self-care allows the holy.
On the other hand, my dearest friend is excellent at taking care of herself. She only shares from her overflow or abundance. Every gift she gives, whether it's her time, support or a physical gift, feels energetically Divine and sacred. I immensely cherish her gifts the most.
It is so much more powerful to do what is best for your well-being.. ie getting enough sleep and sticking to a budget, then you will have more to give... always.