Joy in Gifting: Power in Accepting
Hey Succulent Sunday readers! Thanks for joining me again. I love sharing this blog with you each Sunday. Your questions help me through targeted, quiet reflection on these topics.
Today, let's chat about finding joy and regaining some power and control through joy. Today's blog post will turn from our focus on the physical elements of overwhelm to the spiritual and mindset elements.
Powerless in the Face of Overwhelm? No.
Overwhelm by definition indicates that we are not in control of the emotions and activities throughout our day. However, we are in control our our actions. We may not be in control of the day to day events that we face. A few weeks ago, we talked about setting inch-by-inch goals to help us find and achieve peace. Setting these small, achievable (sometimes even laughably small) goals helps us regain some power in our day.
Joy helps us face the overwhelm head-on.
You (we) are not powerless in the face of overwhelm. You can regain your power by asking for help, accepting help, and accepting gifts. Gifts bring pleasure and joy to both the giver and receiver.
Joy in Gifting
Despite the pandemic of 2020 with many families and individuals struggling to make ends meet, the National Retail Federation expected a large growth in sales. With so much overwhelm, so many struggles, why do people continue to give? People find joy in gifting.
A well-aimed gift requires effort and thinking. The giver hopes to understand the needs of the receiver and meet those needs. Gifting contains the process of letting go. There is a freeing moment of letting go and giving to another person.
Power in Accepting
In accepting or receiving gifts, we find that we have power to overcome the overwhelm. How does this work? By accepting, we acknowledge that we need help, want help, and appreciate help. This authentic vulnerability, in fact, makes us stronger.
Are you an independent, "I can do it myself," kind of individual? I know I am. I want to be seen as strong and independent. The downside that I face the potential of turning people away by not accepting their help.
In the Strength in Nature Likeable Leadership series, writing prompts discuss the importance of the generosity of spirit. To give, we must receive. In receiving, we opening ourselves to the giver. We share with them the joy they have in giving and we have in receiving.
Gifting and receiving do not need to be large, expensive gifts. Share a smile (post-Covid or from a distance). A candy bar, a lunch date. I had a colleague at work who loved the color purple. (I do not love the color purple). Any time I bought a marker set, I gifted her my purple pens. Listen, she knew I was giving her pens that I really would seldom, if ever use. She was generally excited to receive these pens. I was generally happy that she could joyfully use these pens instead of them drying up in my caddy.
Through this simple, and frankly, silly exchange, our friendship grew. Her acceptance brought me joy. Her acceptance grew her power of joyfullness.
Next Steps
Joy helps us face the overwhelm head-on. If you find peace or joy in these Succulent Sunday posts, please share the read with a friend. These tips and tricks are intended to bring you small, actionable activities to help you regain control of your daily emotions and reactions during a time when few of us feel that we have control over our daily lives.
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References
Joy through giving; Joy through receiving
NRF expects holiday sales will grow between 3.6 and 5.2 percent (2020)
