Page 3 - Small Shops of Sonoma County 2016

Positive Impact Gifts
By Jasmine Gold
During the holiday season, I often feel inundated by holiday ads telling me
about the latest gadgets and toys that I should buy. Even if the ones I bought in the past might be working fine, I am supposed to get caught up in the holiday shopping frenzy and replace them with something new.
This is just one view of the holiday season. Since I own a unique local gift store and a healing center, I get exposed to many different angles. There are all kinds of people who shop at my store. Some of the customers say they finish their holiday shopping by October, but most of them shop in December, and especially in the last week. Often they are buying gifts because they are supposed to buy a gift for someone. They may not know the person very well or know what the person likes. These kinds of gifts are “have to” or “expected” gifts.
Do you hang on to very many of
these types of gifts? How well do
you remember the ones you gave
or were given? Which ones do you
remember and why? The gifts I tend
to remember are the “positive impact”
gifts. For instance, I remember a
childhood gift from a boy who replaced a mirror that he had accidently broken when we were playing. It remains in my memory because I appreciated that he had replaced it.
The other day I saw a story on Facebook about a four year old girl who met an old man at the grocery store on her birthday and wanted her picture taken with him. The man said it was the best day of his life in a long time. After the mom posted the picture on Facebook, she found out that his wife had died six months ago. The person telling her said he looked happier than he had ever been since that date. The mom called him up and he became a family friend. This kind of story epitomizes the impact a gift can give.
Now that we have the internet, it is
much easier to find the positive stories like this, instead of the negative stories that
the mainstream media tends to focus on. Sometimes one little planned or unplanned positive impact gift can create a big ripple. Sometimes you might know about the effect and sometimes not. With a positive impact gift, it doesn’t matter. You do it because you want to, not because you feel you have to.
Gift Bags for Homeless:
Fill a plastic bag with these items and keep them in
your car for when you see someone who may need one: • Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Liquid Soap
• Shampoo (dry or liquid) • Deodorant
• Hairbrush
• Socks
• Underwear
• Washcloths
Bigger Bags:
• Pillows
• Jackets
• Sleeping Bags
A positive impact gift doesn’t have to
be big. It can be as simple as paying for a stranger’s restaurant bill or bridge toll. You can help cook a meal for a homeless person or buy a holiday gift for a family in need. You can give your services to someone who can’t afford to pay for them. You can shop local and support the local economy. You can smile at every person that you meet, whether or not you know them.
You can probably come up with many
ideas of your own. Take a few minutes to
brainstorm your skills and strengths – these are your positive impact gifts to the world. Consider giving some of these gifts and seeing what ripples you can create.
Jasmine Gold is a Toltec Mentor trained by don Miguel Ruiz, author of the Four Agreements. She is the director of Songbird Community Healing Center and the owner of Stones Throw Gifts in Cotati. These sister businesses provide intangible and tangible gifts that inspire growth and wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit.
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