Gifting from the Inside Out

Every Christmas season, I get the blues. I experience anxiety from the excitement of gift-giving and my birthday, and I end up feeling down and out, with an urge to stay in bed and pull the covers over my head until the normalcy of January returns.

This year, those feelings are minimal. I think I have found the cure for my Christmas Blues: charity.

In previous years, I fretted over getting a perfect gift for acquaintances and coworkers. This year, after shopping online for what felt like hours, I settled on buying each person a chicken. After clicking the "checkout" button, I felt my heart skip. That wasn't the normal pang I get from Buyer's Remorse... it was happiness! Omigosh, I felt great! Not only was my gift perfect, it was helpful and not at all wasteful! Score!

In addition to gifting livestock, I have found that focusing on others really helps with my birthday anxiety. I'm having so much fun this season by making people around me feel special and important - exactly the way I thought I was entitled to feel on my birthday. Everyone, this is way better. I complimented the cashier on her earrings. I talked to the quiet lady in the waiting room. I asked the elderly man how he was, and I listened to the answer. I found something nice to say to random people, and got smiles in return.

Bonus: I found out people are really interesting. And some people really have a chip on their shoulders, but I'm glad they're not wasting my time.

This year, finally, I'm starting to get it. It only took 3 decades, but for once, it really is the season to be jolly! Happy holidays, everyone! {{hug}}

p.s. This post really made me seem like I was a very shallow person. I'm actually quite shy, but I'm ignoring that fact as I come out of my comfort zone. I do care about people, and always have. I'm just showing it now.
p.p.s. If I ever made you feel bad and struck you as a shallow person, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it.