Perfect Gift? Or Gift Perfectly?

I think we have all faced the inevitable dilemma of selecting the perfect gift for someone’s birthday, Christmas or any occasion for that matter. It’s not easy, especially given that most people will just smile and say thanks when they receive the gift. Yes, yes I hear ya, it’s the thought that matters. But to tell you the truth, I think we all feel incredibly happy when someone gets it ‘just right’ and nails it, by gifting us a present we love. 

I personally do enjoy selecting gifts for people. So I thought, maybe I could share some tips from my first-hand experience over the years. But let’s come back to the present shall we? Literally and otherwise:)

1. Yo’ budget.

Firstly, I think it’s sensible to decide what price range you are looking at. For some special people we may not have a budget but when it comes to others and especially if we have a lot of people to select gifts for, it is wise to set aside a budget.

If your budget is $5, then be a little generous and tell yourself that you’ll be willing to even increase it to $6 if need be. It makes the selection process easier. My personal principle is that my gift will ideally please the other person, instead of just gifting something for the sake of it. Once, you’ve set aside your budget, you’re ready for the next step:

2. Understand the person you’ll be selecting the gift for

You’re probably wondering: “How am I supposed to understand them? I barely know that person!” I hear you. I hear you. But believe me it’s not that hard. If you’ve ever met an individual personally, or even talked to them, there are a lot of clues you can pick up on. For instance, you’d notice the way they dress, their general style or the gadgets, or just the accessories (or lack of) they use.

Trying to understand the person, and slipping into their shoes (not literally, please), can help immensely. Their interests or even age range can also help. A keen eye to observe and a desire to get it right, will help us go a long way. Does that person like gardening, or perhaps, do they wear sun hats, silk scarves, or do they like key rings? Do they love wearing bright colours or are they quite discreet? What’s their profession? If it’s a teen, are they the skateboarding type of cool? Or maybe Reserved? Gadget obsessed? Or they could be avid book readers! The key is to observe, understand and always ask yourself whether they will genuinely like it and use it. And you’re set … almost…

3. Ask yourself whether you would have appreciated this gift.

This is one thing which I have practiced a lot over the past couple of years. Whenever I set out to get anything for someone, I’ll always ask myself whether I would have appreciated this particular gift. In other words, even if we’re buying something for ourselves, we always enjoy better quality stuff with pleasing aesthetics. If it’s something which we can put to good use, we’ll appreciate it a tad bit more. Although it doesn’t apply to everyone, most of us fail to pay attention to the details and really put our hearts into the act of gifting. At least I used to just buy gifts for the sake of it, until I realised that it only requires a little extra effort and care to really please the other person and win their heart.

Ask yourself:

“Would I have liked this gift? Really? Would I?”

Ever since I’ve asked myself this question, I have found such joy in picking out gifts for loved ones, friends and strangers too.

4. Be flexibl’ but generous!

All in all, the idea is to put your heart into selecting the best gift for any specific person, and I’d always recommend to be a little over-generous and do it out of love, instead of acting as if it’s obligation. If the ideal gift is too expensive, pick something else. I personally prefer to avoid the cheaper option, instead, I reconsider the gift and think of another idea. E.g if you want to buy someone a pair of shoes but the one they would love is too costly, think harder and ask yourself if perhaps a good quality belt or purse would be better, fit your budget and still please them. It is a win-win!

5. Enjoy it and let them enjoy it too!

Selecting gifts can be a very enjoyable process. So, go ahead, enjoy it and see how the magic unfolds!:)

Somehow, while writing this post, I was constantly thinking about the chapters from The Rainmaker which expounded beautifully about Swami’s generous heart. I say no more, please go read the book!:) Gift it to yourself maybe? You’ll like it? Of course you will. 

On that note, I have to add that os.me (including the awesome os.me community) is a great gift for our soul! And with this 100th post of mine, I’d like to thank you all for spreading such love and for showering me with so much love. I wish you all the best final week of any year you’ve ever had, basking in love and joy! Let’s all get ready to welcome 2022 with utmost positivity, hope, love and even more kindness than ever. Meanwhile, do keep melting all those hearts around ya, as you already do:)

PC