What is the best gift you’ve ever received? What is the best gift you’ve ever given someone?

“The best gift you can give someone is your time and energy.”

It wasn’t until a few years ago when I realized the importance of this lesson.

In fact, I remember exactly where this realization took place.

I was laying down on the floor of my Austin apartment, face pointed directly toward the ceiling, pondering, “What makes gift giving so special?”

Slowly, I noticed my mind wander down the memory lane of childhood memories.

The times when I would lose sleep leading up to Christmas Eve in anticipation of what I would get the following morning.

Or the countless birthday parties, where friends from all walks of life would gather at my parents place, Laser Tag or some other attraction, followed by a session of opening gifts.

I cherish all of these memories, as they brought tremendous joy to my life.

In fact, before I proceed, I’d like to point out that there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving physical gifts.

Rather, the point of all of this is simply me sharing an observation of how gift giving evolved over the years.

As I continued to think of other memories where gift giving played a major role, I noticed how in the recent years the ultimate gift I was able to receive was not a physical possession, but shared time and energy with other people.

“Why?” I asked myself.

Shared time and energy had been the ultimate gift because it has given me an opportunity to take a glimpse into the gift-givers life.?

A brief window into how they view the world and how I could expand my own view.

It has given me an opportunity to hear as well as share stories, which is something I believe in strongly.

I believe everyone has a story that I have never heard before and everyone knows something that I don’t … both are worth knowing.

Perhaps, this is the reason why I am so drawn to conversations, whether it is through a form of podcasting or random encounters at coffee shops.

To me, these kind of??experiences are simply gifts that keep on giving.

With the holiday season around the corner, what is the best gift you’ve ever received?

What is the best gift you’ve ever given someone?

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