The Ultimate Gift Idea

And by ultimate, I mean the ideal present you can gift a loved one because you care about your connection and friendship with them.

This blog is about the gift that keeps on giving that is unique and special for them this holiday or birthday.

I find personal notes and gifts to fill my soul with gratitude because someone took the time to take out a pen to remind me of our connection. When I write something unique instead of generic, it also fills my soul. There is magic in personal notes and what makes the holidays unique to me.

Disclaimer here, I can "totally" be a Christmas Grinch

And yes, I added the drama language word "totally." Many times, I felt discouraged to hear the words “I love you” from a loved one only during the holidays. I love words of encouragement. And what I'm learning is that self-affirmation is more foundational to my mental health than verbal encouragement from others.

Vulnerability is what I now see as a deeper human connection.

I am now more encouraged that this person gained the courage to say, "I love you." What a beautiful act of vulnerability. The fact that you're reading this blog is that you want someone to feel special and loved. So let's tap into some ideas for your loved one today.

Time for your magic wand - your pen!

I love brainstorming because it gets my hamster running and gives me ideas for other people and events like birthdays and other holidays/traditions. So let's set you up to win by starting with some nice deep breaths as you set up your space for brainstorming. It looks different for everyone, the common denominator being your pen or markers.

Part # 1: How does your loved one love to receive gifts?

"Money, please!" for those Parks and Rec fans. Mona-Lisa preferred money over anything, so she could buy whatever she wanted. In a way, she practices clear communication. The first question is for brainstorming purposes instead of finalizing your gift idea. The goal is to recollect your memories. This exercise is about how you see your loved one light up!

What is their SPARK? What brings them joy and energy?

Please be aware that you're putting yourself in their shoes; you may be the opposite and may not understand it. Trust the process. This exercise is about them.

Keep writing; go back to past holidays and birthdays.

You may be pulling out memories with this person around the stories you shared that brought joy to them. Or you may be thinking about yourself. Holidays can be emotional, and I got good news; feelings are clues to your self-reflection that can lead to growth and evolvement. Re-shift your focus on them.

How have these moments shaped you and your loved one?

If you're new to this blog, we understand the power of words and how words can influence how we feel and think, affecting our actions. So let's finalize part 1 with statements like: "My husband loves it when ___, he lights up when ___, he enjoys ___. "

Part # 2: Write about two or three sentences about each memory. Where were you guys? What were you wearing? What season of the year was it?

Which of these memories stands out for you?

This is one of the reasons I love Instagram; it's a collection of fun memories with my husband, family, and clients. It reminds me of collecting polaroid pictures (Hey, yah, alright, alright). Yes, shake it like a polaroid picture. Zoom in on your top five, then narrow it down to three until you land on one. This exercise is perfect if it's for one specific person, and you can return to the activity for others.

Part # 3: Title this memory, like a title to a movie

I'm serious, go on, title it, movie director. It's time to zoom in. Read the paragraph you wrote about it in two or three sentences at 70% speed of your average reading speed. For a bonus, add a breath after each punctuation.

What came up for you?

I know that I started to see theme colors for my husband and me. I started seeing his colors, his passions, his hobbies, his desires, and his wishes. I could hear our conversations; I could hear music; I could smell food, etc.

Tap into all your senses and write them down.

Is there something they said they wanted during these times? Start small: a dessert, a movie, an album record? These ideas can get to experiences and events you can gift them. The gift is to write this movie scene for them and give them an aspect of it.

Like a record album with a special note

You have taken time to return to memory lane to encourage your loved one with a memory. You have tapped into your creativity because you have taken responsibility to make time to think about an encouraging gift that is unique to them.