Let's discuss the art of gift giving. It's called an art for a reason.
First, there was a really great guy who once gave me hundred's of dollars in jewelry as a gift. Sweet gesture, yet - do you see me covered in expensive jewelry? No. In fact, those items never left their original boxes.
Second, there was this guy who always gave his friends and families framed photos. Photo's he had taken and felt like giving out in his custom frames. Kind gesture, yet very self centered.
Now, think about the types of gifts you give. STOP! There's an art to this. Do you give gifts that you like? Do you give people things to make you feel better? The jewelry guy gave pricey gifts to make him look like he cared. To him, this was his way of saying he had something to offer. Note to him - money isn't everything. The picture guy gave gifts that were neat to him, yet he never thought about who he was giving the gift to and the gifts were presented in such a manner that made him look very self centered.
Before you give someone a gift, think about that individual. Don't give out a standard gift like a picture or jewelry. Give something that will be meaningful to the receiver, not to you! The gift is not about you!!! A gift should show that you know the individual who you purchased/made it for and that you want to give them something that is of meaning and will be valued in their life.
Example of a great gift: a guy friend of mine gave me a really cool sign for Christmas. It read "Danger: Men, Please Read Before Entering" and it contained 10 things men should know before dating me. It was adorable, comical and great to have. I've since posted it in my home office and really think this was the best gift I received all year.
Before you give a gift, stop and remove yourself from the process - give a gift to someone that says - "I know you deep down and I know you'd like this."
