An Unnecessary Gift Goose Chase Braving the battleground at the department store parking lots is never what we've always thought gift shopping for our loved ones should be. Harboring frustrating feelings of being victimized by our situation can lead to this inner dialogue: "Why Me? How did I find myself in these no-win situations where I am driving from store to store utterly clueless as to what to buy for this friend or that relative?" Many people unfortunately make it much worse by comparing their plight with other people who are also shopping: constantly questioning whether a friend who works at the mall has a much easier time collecting the perfect gifts for Christmas, or even a birthday. Everyone enjoys seeing the eyes of a loved one light up as they peel off the last piece of wrapper, and reveal the surprise. Admit that during the first minute of the unveiling, you enjoy the experience more than the recipient. It's a moment that you have been waiting for, and there is anticipation for you as well. Their reaction is part of the pleasure. The Personalized Solution Make the smart choice of using personalized gifts! It can be compared to serving up one of those gourmet frozen pizzas that actually taste like a home made Italian dish. It makes the final result when presenting the gift, appear like something you put a lot of work and effort into. Only you yourself knows how easy it actually was to select the perfect item and add the engraving, whether you ordered from the Internet or from mail order. This generous gesture toward the recipient far outweighs the minor effort of adding the engraving. The only suffering involved for you, if you can call it that, is trying to choose from the many good ideas among the wide range of gifts available for personalization. There is an abundant range of possibilities that would be compatible for any member of the family, or the friend or associate. Any typical gift offering can vary in price of course, and here's where the beauty of personalization lies. A personally embroidered apron with a name or initials can yield a more profound impact than an expensive video game or cordless phone. A personalized gift makes the recipient feel remembered and special. In today's hurried and detached society, feeling this treasured is rare. A key distinction to keep in mind when going the personalization route, is the relief from the pressure of having to be unique and original with the type of gift. We love to concern ourselves with what kind of unique novelty gift the recipient has never seen before. There might also be a subtle sense of obligation to give something that you know they don't own already. With personalization, they can already own a simple gift such as throw pillow and be pleasantly surprised with one you give to them that either bears their name or a personal message having special significance to them. Customized Just For You Never make the mistake that a "nirvanic" shopping experience might be that you first win the lotto, and thus allowing yourself to hire an assistant who runs one errand gathering expensive gifts for everyone. It's a far more realistic truth to recognize, that when someone unwraps an item that is made truly personal for them, they are delighted to see that you had thought specifically about who they are as a person. You, as the gift giver will also derive much more satisfaction with your offering, knowing that this is straight from your heart. An additional legitimate benefit is that this approach reinforces the ease of birthday or holiday shopping in your own nervous system and alleviates that negative association between holidays and the sometimes painful struggle for just the right gift. Who would have realized that the entire experience of holidays and other occassions such as birthdays and anniversaries could be this pleasant. Be easy on yourself for not discovering this earlier. There is a bright and easy path of choices on your gift-shopping horizon, in addition to less driving time and a reduction in standing in long lines. The time spent in the traffic and in malls is better invested in thinking up a creative idea whether it is a sentimental message for a close family member, or a humorous personalization for a friend. |
