Do you ever have a moment when learn something new, learn everything you can about it, then you gather up enough confidence about the topic to tell someone else about it. The excitement in your voice and the spring in your step because you have this new nugget of knowledge. Just as you begin to tell someone about it they say something like, “Oh, right! I have been doing that for years…” Oh, the heartbreak!
It may take a good portion of the excitement out of your new discovery but you resolve to a feeling of being in-the-loop which is a good thing too.
Gift giving is a giant roller coaster ride of emotion. Everyone gets excited about receiving gifts-especially little kids. Most people experience pure joy when they give a gift that someone really likes, wants, or needs. The saying about it is better to give than receive holds true but getting to the wonderful feelings this moment provides is quite a long ride.
Here are just a few of the hills, valleys, twists, and turns of gift giving:
- The pressure to find the gift before the deadline.
- The angst in parting with your hard earned money to purchase the gift
(be honest you have this feeling)
- The frustration with the process of finding a gift: looking in store after store, the lines to
check out, finding parking, sitting in traffic, dealing with other rude customers, etc.
- The uncomfortablness that goes with the conversation about needing to return a gift you
purchased for someone else.
- The anxiety that goes with the decision to re-gift
- And the biggest stresser…waiting and watching for the moment when someone opens your
gift and gives you the confirming look of satisfaction.
No wonder it is better to give than receive… the sense of relief you get when the whole process it over gives you just as much joy and a sense of relaxation than the look of gratitude on someone’s face. Giving is a win-win for everyone once the event is over one way or another!
