Gifts That Cost Nothing!

The other day I was thinking about stuff.  How we accumulate so much stuff throughout our lives…things that we really don’t need, that fill our junk drawers, fill boxes in our closets, hang out in cabinets unused.  We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on stuff that in the end, won’t mean anything.  I’ve been all about simplifying lately, tired of the junk and clutter.  Consumerism is so empty, it fills our homes, but it doesn’t fill our hearts.  It is friendship and love and experiences that fill our hearts.  It is the support of a friend, the kiss of a loved one, a simple action or touch or statement that fills us and makes us whole, especially when we start to feel a bit broken.  Not stuff.  Then I started to think about how much power that gives us….good power, I mean.  We have the power and ability to give each other gifts all day, every day.  With a simple decision to do so, we can distribute beautiful tokens of love on the daily.  We have the ability to build each other up, support each other, compliment each other, love each other.  And guess what?  These gifts don’t cost a dime!  Which leads me to wonder…why don’t we do this more often?  Why don’t we bestow these free gifts upon each other day after day, when they are 100% free and so powerfully positive?  Are we all just too consumed in our own self centeredness to do so?    Are we too shy?  Too uncomfortable?  Too caught up in our own lives?  Do we forget that it costs nothing to give these gifts away?  What’s even more powerful is when you start to realize that the more you give these free trinkets of love and support away, the better you start to feel yourself.  You will build a kingdom of positivity and good karma in your life so it’s truly a win win.  I say challenge yourself….take a minute to stop thinking about all that you have to do, all that you have on your plate, all that you want, but don’t have…and give a gift to someone else.  Give a compliment to someone (a genuine one!), send a thoughtful text asking someone how that interview went or if that nasty cold has gone away.  Remembering something specific that is going on in someone else’s life is a gift worth a million bucks because it makes that person feel heard and remembered. Hug someone that you might not normally hug.  Send a card, draw a picture, hold a hand.  Step outside of the love language you are used to using (or maybe you're not used to using any!), and try something new on for size.  Perhaps touch isn’t always comfortable for you…hug ‘em anyway.  Perhaps saying “I miss you” feels weird, do it anyway.  Sometimes even asking questions feels weird to some people.  Do it anyway.  Give the gift of time to someone.  Stop with the junk and start giving gifts that will last.  Just some things I’ve been thinking about.  XO