Gift

Not in the way you might think. You did not just sneeze. You gave entirely of yourself. You gave the gifts that you have to bestow on the world. You might be a rock star listener, problem solver, or delegator. Maybe you have a way of speaking your mind, with a poised bluntness. Whatever your gift, we each have our own unique way to share our impact with the world.

It is an idea that I have been thinking about for the past few weeks and months. That we are all put into situations where we can deliver our best selves with our unique gifts. There are times when we have a decision we have to make. We mull over our options, weigh the pros and cons, and in the end, if we ultimately focus on how we can best bless in each situation we are telling the universe that we are open and willing to use our strengths in ways we might not be able to imagine.

Yes, some might call that how we can best bless. It is not meant to sound religious, but as I ponder the word “bless” I struggle to find a better word. Call it what you like, but in the end if we are leading and living through our strengths, we enrich our life and those that we interact with on a daily basis. The blessing in the end is reciprocal.

You might be in a situation where you feel like the work you are doing stretches you but there are parts of your job that you would rather not have to deal with on a daily basis. If you change your thought and change the direction of your moments to ones that think in line with where you can best give of yourself, you reap gifts you cannot even imagine. You might end up connecting with a colleague and ending up with a life long friend. You might find your best work leads you to a different job, or that you are actually very happy right where you have been working, you just did not see it before.

Utilizing our gifts and strengths, and being open to share these gifts in ways where we can add value, and make our surroundings a better place is how we bless the world around us. It brings out the best in others and most importantly ourselves. Bring it. Bless in all you do.

I know I rave about Chris all the time, but I had to share this beautiful present. First, our 1/2 anniversary falls on Christmas day. In the past few years, we have made the choice not to give each other gifts. Last year we were traveling for Christmas and due to the high cost of the trip, we decided to pass on gifts. This year, due to purchasing a home, we decided again to put aside giving gifts. However, he always has something up his sleeve.

In November, we were at a design show and we found and fell in love with this print. I was with my good friend that was visiting that weekend, and after seeing that print she said: “Guess what you are getting for Christmas?” Well she was right. Just not for Christmas. A few days before Christmas I had come inside from my run, and sitting on my desk was the below print, framed. I went to find Chris. Happily excited, I asked how he pulled this off. He said: “I have my ways. Happy 1/2 Anniversary.”

Chris and I are horribly picky about art. We have learned over time that if we both fall in love with a piece we have to do something about it right away. We have experienced first hand when we fell in love with a piece, and waited. Only to find out that it had been purchased before we made our decision.

I encourage you to explore more of Audrey’s work. The image below does not even begin to show you the detail of this piece. Thank you, Chris.