Gifts

In preparing for this holiday season, bringing bins from the garage and hanging pictures, I invariably have memories from past holidays come flooding back.  As items are retrieved from the dark, brought out, dusted off…events, people, situations and emotions come settling back in. 

A continued surprise however, is a particular family event that happened 19 years ago.  The memories of this still resonate with fun, fondness and the deeper connections it brought to us as a family.   What makes this all the more powerful is how, when we gather each year for our gift exchange we still talk about that past event.

Like the present state of the economy, it too was a time of financial restraint and being fiscally responsible.  We discussed at great length what to do with our gift exchange, what to do with how much to spend, how much to give.  With all learning we’re forced at times by outside circumstances to reevaluate, to sit back, reconsider, rethink and rework an idea.  On some level it was just a package under the tree. 

This financial ‘kink’ forced us to do something that was not popular, not acceptable on many levels, and for all of us at the time on this scale, unheard of. It was ‘Regifting’!

When we hit on this idea there was at first dismissal and negating.  As the idea percolated however there was such a sense of fun about it that family members that before hadn’t cleaned out, sorted or looked at gifts from the past started to clean out closets, drawers or the garage looking for something appropriate.  For all members the process of cleaning out and sorting had started.

Clothing, shoes, dishes, toys, games and even a TV was regifted.  In fact there was so much thought put into each individual gift that to this day there are still items used from that first regifting.   What came out of something uncomfortable at the time now is expanded into the community.  We donate to a family member’s chosen charity; we regift one item to each member every 2^nd year. We have become conscious of how we spend, how we share and what our imprint is on the earth.  The residue from that one event has rippled to the next generation.  The children, our future citizens are now so aware of their imprint that they want to regift every year and now give to children who don’t have as much. 

Tip:

Choose something you have worn once or twice, regift it, cleaned, to someone you know would love it.

 

It’s Time

When was the last time you said, “I’ll do it later!”?  Recently?  Is that language part of your daily vocabulary?   Your weekly vocabulary? If just reading this is a button pusher, sit here a moment and breathe into the disquiet that you are experiencing in your body.  Take another deep breath in and release the breath completely.  Now soften the shoulders, jaw and smile to yourself!  It is okay to be in this place. 

You undoubtedly had something come to mind immediately.  This is about organizing your life and making your surroundings more visibly appealing, your home more organized and spacious. That ‘something’ that comes to mind is tapping you to take charge, to make a change and to take an action step towards doing it. 

Inaction and procrastination are the thieves that steal your spirit, your energy and over the long haul…your sense of self and how you bring yourself to the world.  When you say ‘later’, ‘maybe tomorrow’, ‘I’ll get to it next week.’ and you never get there, you add to that layer of stress that in turn contributes to a reduced energy level.

It is that small motion of stepping forth into a commitment to the self. This can be achieved doing a bit of sorting, a bit of clearing every day or every week, for 30 minutes or more.  The 30 minutes out of your day can often be the best 30 minutes you give yourself.  It is first of all telling yourself that you honor the words you speak and it can be a form of meditation as your brain is completely focused on the task at hand. 

So take that timer I spoke of earlier in the first blog, put it on for 30 minutes and step into that cupboard, open that drawer, go through that shoe rack and ‘just do it.’  You will be surprised how good you feel at the end.   

The best gift you can give yourself is to get organized.  Start with something small that can be done easily in ½ hr.  Achieve success in small steps.  The bigger steps will then look after themselves.

TIP:

Circle the calendar for the next 30 min clearing and sorting.