Seven simple, priceless gifts to give yourself!

It’s holiday time and we’re coming up to a new year. You may be giving gifts to others. We wondered what gifts are you giving yourself? We’ve been seeing lots of commercials lately where people give themselves gifts, everything from sunglasses, watches and even cars. That’s just what’s shown on television so we got curious about what Google would say are the best gifts to give yourself. We were amazed that there were many physical gifts but none of them as simple, yet priceless as some other gifts you can give yourself.

Physical gifts can go out of style and eventually, unless they maintain some sentimental value, they’ll be replaced and forgotten. Martin Seligman, PhD, author of Authentic Happiness, talks about how physical things, such as the latest shiny objects, may add to immediate gratification but then usually lose their significance over time.

We wanted to look at gifts that would have lasting value. You can come up with many more ideas but here’s a start with seven no cost, simple, yet priceless gifts to consider giving to yourself.

Love: When you learn to truly love yourself, you’ll nurture and be kinder to yourself. This can make all areas of life easier. If you don’t feel self-love yet, try repeating affirmations such as “I love myself, just as I am” – or use words that make the most sense to you. What you repeat and focus on will grow. Loving yourself doesn’t mean you think you’re better than everyone else, it means that you know you are worthy of being loved, just as you are.

Wayne Dyer adds, “If you don’t love yourself, nobody will. Not only that, you won’t be good at loving anyone else. Loving starts with the self.”

Belief: Have belief in yourself and in your Higher Power. Allow yourself to go for your dreams. As you take action, know that God and the Universe will bring people and circumstances to support you as you take action to develop your gifts and talents to reach success. James Allen said, “The outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs.”

Health: Give yourself the precious gift of good health by taking care of your body, mind and spirit. Taking steps in the direction of good health can get you there. There are plenty of people in the world who would trade all the money they had for good health. Mahatma Gandhi, said, “It is health that is real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver.”

Hope: Hope is what helps people to keep on living and striving for things to be better. It can be the motivation that gets one out of a “slump” and a driving force to achieve goals. Dick Beardsley, a world-famous runner who beat an addiction problem, shares his philosophy, “They say you can live forty days without food, seven days without water, a few minutes without breathing, but you can’t live one second without hope. If you hang on to that, it will help you get through the days.”

Peace: Finding peace brings serenity and helps you let go of anxiety in many situations. The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr can go a long way to contribute to having peace. It goes like this: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference. “

Gratitude: Live each day with gratitude. By looking for at least three things you are grateful for each day, you’ll naturally become more positive. Steve Maraboli said, “If you want to find happiness, find gratitude.”

Forgiveness: It’s important to forgive others and also to forgive yourself. None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes as part of living and learning. When you forgive, you allow yourself to move forward with the knowledge and strength to make better choices. Don’t allow the negatives from the past to create the forecast for the future. Each day’s a new beginning. When you forgive and let go of guilt and anger, you’ll be free to advance in life with a lighter heart and renewed spirit.

Louise Hay said, Forgiveness is for yourself because it frees you. It let’s you out of that prison you put yourself in.”

What about you? What simple, priceless gifts will you give yourself?

We offered some ideas here and we would enjoy hearing what you choose to give yourself. Also, know that the simple, priceless gifts you give yourself will be much appreciated as you share them with others.

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2019 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.