During this busy Christmas season, my 5 year-old daughter has reminded me of what the true spirit of Christmas is all about – that it is better to give than to receive and that gifts from the heart are a part of the true spirit of Christmas. She has went through countless sheets of paper, glue and tape over the past couple of weeks. She has made more messes than I care to think about but it’s all been in the true spirit of Christmas. She colors the paper and glues and/or tapes it over an item in her room. Sometimes, she even finds bows in the house and tapes it on top. She then proudly presents it to someone – beaming with excitement as she waits for them to open the present. She worked especially hard on a gift that she took to her teacher this week. I couldn’t help but laugh when her teacher opened it and saw that it contained Cinderella shoes, a crown, a necklace and princess gloves (all from Holly’s room).
As I was thinking about what she was doing, the thought occurred to me that we should all do the same for our co-workers. Your budget may not allow you to do much, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to show appreciation for them. Do some sleuthing to discover more about your co-workers. Learn their likes, interests, tastes, and hobbies. As 2013 approaches, repeatedly invest in your workplace relationships in small ways such as taking them out for lunch or remembering and celebrating their birthday. Over time, your consistent, intentional efforts will deepen your relationships with others, and you will gain greater influence and enjoyment at work.
I’ll close with three quotes I read this week that I thought were really good:
Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect. ~Oren Arnold
Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. ~Larry Wilde, The Merry Book of Christmas
One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly. ~Andy Rooney
Rachel
What a great post!! Thanks for sharing this Rachel!
Wonderful post! Tis the Season.
I rarely comment on blog posts, but this one was really inspirational to me! If only all adults were as thoughtful, bighearted and considerate as a five year old! Can you imagine the world we would live in!? =)
AHHH Rachel that was great, thank you for reminding us about how even the small gestures we make can mean the world so someone else. Because we all know the reason for the season has been forgotten by so many!!!
This just blessed my heart…Thanks for blogging Rachel! Merry Christmas!
What a great reminder of what the season is all about! Your daughter is too sweet. 🙂 Thanks for sharing Rachel!