So, this time of year is all about gifts. What does a gift represent?
According to Wikipedia: A gift...is an item given to someone without the expectation of payment. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is meant to be free...By extension the term gift can refer to anything that makes the other happier or less sad, especially as a favor, including forgiveness and kindness...
The thought of a Gift also made me immediately think of the amazing song by Annie Lennox, "THE GIFT". This song just touches me to my soul and in every single cell of my body. I wanted to include the lyrics for you:
Darling don't you understand
I feel so ill at ease
The room is full of silence and it's getting hard to breathe
Take this guilted cage of pain and set me free
Take this overcoat of shame
It never did belong to me
It never did belong to me
I need to go outside
I need to leave the smoke
'cause I can't go on living in this same sick joke
It seems our lives have taken on a different kind of twist
Now that you have given me the perfect gift
You have given me the gift
For we have fallen from our shelves
To face the truth about ourselves
And we have tumbled from our trees
Tumbled from our trees
And I can almost...
I can almost feel the rain falling
Don't you know it feels so good
So let's go out into the rain again
Just like we said we always would
This year was an entire year of complete Internal Transformation for me (as well as MANY people I know and have been blessed to work with). It has been brutal, amazing, beautiful, unbelievable, and absolute reflection of all of the work I've done my entire life. I am thankful for all of the gifts that: on the surface appeared to make me more sad, made me absolutely joyful, dropped me into myself in beyond profound ways, others gave me (intentionally and just by being in my life) and that I gave myself. In fact, I have recently given myself a gift that is going to push me bigger and farther than the former me could have EVER even allowed myself to imagine.
What gifts have you received during this year? What gifts were you hoping for? What gifts have you given yourself? What gifts have you NOT given yourself? What gift can I help you receive for yourself? What gifts are you not allowing yourself to have, even though they are staring you in the face, begging to give to you? Why keep them from yourself? Are you letting fear stop you from your truth and being released from that guilted cage of pain and set free? Are you holding onto some OLD overcoat of shame that EVERYONE but you knows doesn't at all fit you anymore but you are holding onto it, no matter what?! Don't hold yourself from your Fabulousness just because you are afraid of getting there. The other side is so worth the Journey, I promise. C'mon out, it's Fabulous our here when you just GIVE YOURSELF THAT GIFT that you know will unlock EVERYTHING for YOU!
Much much love and gratitude for every gift I receive for having every one of you touch my life, in ANY way...
