How many times have you opened a gift and immediately had to transform your face into an unnatural grimace of gratitude? "Oh my God, I've always wanted cheap, uncomfortable underwear made of synthetic fabric - How did you know?" This may sound a little harsh but that gift you hate is mostly your fault. I know secretly we all long for the perfect secret surprise gift, that the people we love will somehow look into our souls and discover our secret desires, because they love us and we are simple enough to understand- so how can they get it so wrong? It isn't because they didn't try, I extend enormous flurries of admiration for any man who even tries to buy underwear, its a mine field. In fairness, as we have already discussed women have no idea, so how on earth is a man supposed to decode the madness. We've all had gifts we hate from various family and friends, a particular low point for me was the year I received 10 different Boots scent gifts, the Charity Tombola did well that year, I can tell you.
I'm not being ungrateful, but don't you see it as a waste of money? Buying people things you don't know if they'll like and in most cases you are so busy you don't care if they do either. Not really the proper sentiment is it? So you have a couple of options either you can continue to be passive and write down who gave you what so you don't end up re-gifting or you can be pro-active. Spend sometime this week thinking about what you actually would like to receive. What are your dream gifts? When we were children we all sat down and wrote lists and I seem to remember actually getting some of the things on the list, nobody gets everything they want but even 25% is better than what you are probably averaging at the moment. These days most companies have some form of gift list service. Then you just email people the list, que lovely Christmas morning full of exciting things you actually want.
I hear you yelling that it isn't about what you get and its not, but it is about giving someone a token of your love and if I don't know what means love to them, how can I? As an extra token I can also remove some of the stress of finding a gift for me, the embodiment of the girl who has everything. I can't tell you how many of my clients loved ones ring me to find out what they should be shopping for or to ask me to do it for them when they find out that, that is a service I offer.
If you don't have someone in your life who knows what you want, why not tell them? Why be frustrated, it is such a simple thing, no dancing around, leaving hints and hoping it'll come good, just sit them down tonight and say, "I would like..." Watch the relief, it could be the best gift you give them. I'll let you in on a secret too, it leads to a general raising of the bar, as you get what you want but it also gives them a ball park to end up with that hearts desire gift you never dared even think about.
Think about what you want and give people a chance to get it for you.
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