10 Unique Ways to Give Thanks During the Holiday Season
by Tzippi Moss
T'is the season when the commercials on T.V. and the radio and the displays in the stores cajole and convince us to buy, buy, buy. It's easy to get overwhelmed by trying to find that perfect gift for everyone. Yet the truest message at this time of year is to thank, thank, thank. Isn't this at the heart of Christmas? Chanukah? And all the other holidays? So in that fashion, I would like to propose various ways of giving thanks to your loved ones, yourself and your life.
I just read about a man who has been playing Santa for years by anonymously giving gifts of cash to strangers who can use a lift in spirit. We don�t have to be so generous to strangers with our spare cash, but there are plenty of great and low- or no-cost ideas to give thanks.
Yes, I have a web site dedicated to helping people make great birthday celebrations, but it�s also devoted to ways of better celebrating life. Here are a few ways of giving thanks to those that celebrate a birthday this month, or to just anyone whose presence has made a difference in your life:
1. Send a card sharing all the qualities you appreciate in that person. Challenge yourself to come up with one trait for every year he or she has lived. This is one card that will not be relegated to the garbage can.
2. Write down a memory of this person that is meaningful to you - a way, perhaps, of how this person has influenced your life for the better, or of how she helped you when you most needed it. Add a favorite picture of both of you to the card.
3. Send an anonymous love letter to this person.
4. Copy the list of natural highs listed below, adding or highlighting one item that your friend has graced you with. Add a short explanation and forward it by snail or e-mail.
5. Choose at least one person from your holiday card mailing list to call up. Ideally, it should be someone who you haven�t talked to in a long, long time. Thank this person for being in your life by sharing something you treasure about him or her. You�ll give the gift of letting someone know she still matters in your life and you get the present of reconnecting with a long lost friend or family member.
6. Give the gift of quality time. Though I give thanks daily for my loved ones, that doesn�t necessarily translate on the day- to -day level to them feeling like a priority. Doesn�t it often seem that e-mail, shopping, work, cooking and a long list of other to do�s often take precedence over wonderful undisturbed time with those we most treasure? When my teenage son recently asked me what I wanted for a birthday gift, I answered �time to go out together, just the two of us.� He took me out to a local ice cream place and the sweetest taste of all was having the opportunity to hang out together and catch up on the little things in each other�s lives.
7. Do a favor. We all have certain errands or chores that we prefer not to do. We all have moments when we want to be forgiven for something. We all have times when we need some comfort. Have you considered making up a little booklet with coupons that state this can be redeemed for: not having to do a chore, being unconditionally forgiven, receiving a 5 minute foot massage, being listened to with no interruptions, one good cry on the shoulder, etc.? You�ll thank yourself for having been able to make a big or small difference to someone in that moment.
8. Surprise someone. Imagine giving to someone who would never expect a gift from you. Give thanks for all that you have in your life by spreading some of that abundance around. Bring a pot of soup over to someone you know who lives alone and would love some home made food and conversation. Write a letter thanking someone for special service or assistance they have given you. Give a really huge tip.
9. Give thanks for what has inspired you in your life by sharing the gift of inspiration with others. You can compile a collection of great articles that you�ve clipped from the paper, or unique quotes that you download from the internet, or share a piece of wisdom that�s worth knowing. (For a great book that compiles the wisdom of folks from ages 60s-90s, check out What�s Worth Knowing (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWhats-Worth-Knowing-Wendy-Lustbader%2Fdp%2F1585423726%2Fsr%3D1-2%2Fqid%3D1164624612%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=wbclub-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wbclub-20&l=ur2&o=1).
10. Laugh and the world laughs with you. Humor is one of life�s greatest gifts, so share it with someone by sending a great joke, buying a funny book or seeing a comedy together.
Giving thanks and expressing gratitude are not just gifts you give to others. It�s also one of the best gifts you can give yourself. According to some of the most recent research, people who develop grateful mindsets, in addition to obviously feeling happier, also report fewer physical symptoms and more readily achieve goals set for themselves. So this holiday season, put �feeling thankful� at the very top of your list of resolutions.
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