Tis the Season

Guest Contributor: Janet Napora
Janet's Posts - Janet's Blog

Christmas is upon us once again. The decorations are up, the trees are decorated and shoppers are out in full force. I love Christmas. What I love most is giving gifts.

Many people have had to tighten their belts in this economy but for me gift giving cannot be sacrificed.

I've always believed that the price tag has nothing to with the value of a gift. We've all heard the saying "it's the thought that counts". But it has to be meaningful thought. I can spend twenty minutes looking for the right Christmas card, matching it to the person's personality and the thought I want to convey. It doesn't matter if it's my mom, my brother or a co-worker.

We all know one important aspect of a mastermind is listening. Knowing an individual, no matter who they are, is what gives you the insight to what's important to them. Sometimes it's not even what they say but what they do, what their priorities are.

For many, stress seems to come naturally with the holidays but it doesn't have to turn your days into chaos. Thinking with your head and your heart, being your authentic self will always show the people around you that you care.

While you're out picking up gifts ask yourself if this gift will bring a smile and joy to the person receiving it. I know that's what I enjoy the most. I know I've gotten excited over a ten dollar gift card from a book store because reading is one of the things that I love to do. It wasn't the ten dollars but the fact that the person put a moment of thought into a silly grab bag gift.

I want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday of giving and receiving joy, love and a moment of thought.