Stressed about gift-giving? You’re not alone. Millions of other people are right there with you!?With so many shoppers worrying about what they’re giving to whom for the holidays – not to mention the very real problem of people spending more than they can afford – gift-giving is not always as easy and straightforward as we’d like.
Here’s a bit of insight that might help. Should we focus on gifts which money can’t buy – as this one-minute UpWorthy clip does, in asking passersby what non-material items they wish for? Perhaps…
The video strikes a chord with me, both because of the obvious sincerity of the people answering, and because of how many answers are actually dollar-dependent: From housing to employment to salary scale — money not only plays a part in these things, it is fundamental.
That said, all these folks are onto something that might help us all relax a bit during this peak spending period. Before worrying about the cost of a potential expense, consider first what it is you hope to accomplish with the money you’re contemplating spending.
When we lose the link between the material things in life and our aspirational/spiritual ideals, it’s hard to maximize either.
It’s not that money is bad, or even that things which people think are unrelated to money are necessarily superior. Indeed, when we lose the link between the material things in life and our aspirational/spiritual ideals, it becomes hard to maximize either.
It isn’t so much about what money can or can’t buy, but about each of us reconnecting to what we really want. Is it support, laughter, serenity, excitement? Sometimes money really can buy those things, and sometimes not.
For a bit of relief from all the gift-giving “issues” you may be experiencing this month, maybe the key is to ask yourself in the simplest possible terms: What is it you really want? Identify the answer, and you’ll see there’s probably a variety of ways to obtain it, and to give it, as well.
Brad Hirschfield is the co-founder and co-executive editor of The Wisdom Daily. A rabbi, Brad has been featured on ABC’s Nightline UpClose, PBS’s Frontline, Fox News and National Public Radio. He wrote a long-standing column, “For God’s Sake,” for the Washington Post, and has also written for The Huffington Post and Beliefnet.com. He authored the book, You Don?t Have To Be Wrong For Me To Be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism. Brad also serves as President of Clal, The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a leadership training institute, think tank and resource center in New York City.