Like it or not, the gift giver looms large on his or her Christmas list these days.

I’ve heard figures as high as $800 spent on oneself.

Here are gifts to give yourself and they are free.

• Be the person you want to be not the person you become by reacting to someone else’s behavior.  Not easy but rewarding.  Constantly ask “Is this the right thing to do?” instead of choosing the lesser of the alternatives.
• Spend time with someone who is alone this holiday – talk about them, not you.  See how great both of you then feel.  Someone you know has lost a loved one and this season is the hardest of the year to endure.  Reach out to them.
• Disconnect from your digital world as much as possible and focus on being in the company of people you like.
• In front of others including loved ones, tell someone specifically why you appreciate them.  You may make them cry but it can be the most potent gift ever.
• In the 1947 Christmas movie Miracle on 34^th Street one of themes was how the holidays just didn’t seem the same as they used to be back in the day – and that was the same old complaint we hear today but it was 68 years ago!  Different is better.  The past is just a fantasy in our mind.  The present is currency that we can spend.

Happy Holidays to my friends who start each day here!

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