TC 282: The Gift of Receiving with Grace

Now is the time of year when people think about giving gifts to family, friends, coworkers, and others we interact with on a regular basis. Sometimes we give a gift because someone needs something, or wants a particular thing (this year it's probably something Star Wars related or an Apple smart watch). In some cases we find something we're sure our loved one will really like. Other times we give gifts out of a sense of obligation, maybe because they gave something to you. The Huffington Post has an interesting article on Giving and Receiving with Grace. The article makes the observation that "the concept of self-transcendence is bound up with the golden rule: "Treating others as you yourself would like to be treated." When we transcend our limited self, this rule becomes an inherent part of our own nature, and other people an extended part of our own reality. For this reason, learning to receive is equally vital." "When we say, "Please don't get me anything... I don't want or need anything" -- while that may be intrinsically true, or we don't wish to burden someone who is stretching an already tight budget, we are essentially shutting that person out. Giving creates a relationship between the giver and receiver. Giving is a way people participate in our lives, a way people honor us. And when we say no, we deny them the opportunity to do so. Generosity, both in giving and receiving, opens the heart. We must learn to accept gratefully." Below is a short video on Accepting Gifts with Grace. Do you receive gifts with grace, or are you always saying things like "You shouldn't have"? How about saying "Thank you so much!" or "This is such a blessing to me!" instead?