3437: Giving the Gift of Christmas by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist on Generosity, Forgiveness, and Intentional Kindness

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: This is Optimal Living Daily, Giving the Gift of Christmas by Joshua Becker of BecomingMinimalist.com

[00:00:07] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm your narrator Justin Malik reading articles to give us a little step in the right direction every single day.

[00:00:14] [SPEAKER_00]: So with that let's get right to it as we optimize your life.

[00:00:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Giving the Gift of Christmas by Joshua Becker of BecomingMinimalist.com

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Quote,

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_00]: You give but little when you give of your possessions.

[00:00:32] [SPEAKER_00]: It's when you give of yourself that you truly give.

[00:00:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Khalil Gibran

[00:00:38] [SPEAKER_00]: It's better to give than receive.

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_00]: We hear it all the time, especially this time of year.

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_00]: But sometimes I wonder if we really believe it.

[00:00:47] [SPEAKER_00]: We say the phrase as if the generalization is a foregone conclusion.

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_00]: We print it on bumper stickers and billboards.

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_00]: We teach it to our children.

[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_00]: And we mutter it under our breath when circumstances don't go as expected.

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_00]: But in reality, the axiom is difficult to live out.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_00]: We live in a world that seeks personal gain, even encourages it.

[00:01:09] [SPEAKER_00]: And as a result, we want to make sure the things we receive are equal to the gifts that we give.

[00:01:15] [SPEAKER_00]: But I think the statement does ring true.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_00]: It's better to give than receive.

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_00]: This website stands as proof.

[00:01:22] [SPEAKER_00]: The accumulation of possessions offers only short-term pleasure that fades quickly.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_00]: On the other hand, generosity and giving offers a long-lasting happiness, purpose, and fulfillment.

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_00]: It's better to give than receive.

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_00]: And the stakes only get higher when we consider the themes of Christmas.

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Christmas, you see, is far more than pretty presents under a tree.

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Christmas is a celebration of love and joy and peace.

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_00]: These are the greatest gifts we can ever give.

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_00]: But they're often the most difficult, especially if we have not received them from others.

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_00]: We dig in our heels.

[00:02:02] [SPEAKER_00]: We decide we will offer forgiveness, but only if they make the first phone call.

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_00]: We will show love, but only after they sacrifice something.

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_00]: And we may respond in goodness, but only after they start showing some kindness to us first.

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Suddenly, we fall into the same foolish trap believing it's better to receive than give.

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_00]: But the themes of Christmas should not be kept to ourselves.

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_00]: They can only be experienced when given away.

[00:02:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Number one, love.

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Christmas is a season of love.

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_00]: A celebration of sacrificing what we have to show appreciation to those who mean the most.

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_00]: And while expressing love to another may be the most beautiful thing we can ever do,

[00:02:47] [SPEAKER_00]: it can also be one of the most difficult, especially when those who should love us the most withhold it.

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Love anyway.

[00:02:55] [SPEAKER_00]: True love is not self-seeking.

[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_00]: It keeps no record of wrongs.

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Man demands nothing in return.

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Number two, joy.

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_00]: This world never allows for perfect circumstances.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And those who wait to find joy in them never will.

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER_00]: It is unwise to base our happiness fully on the actions of others.

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_00]: But that doesn't mean we can't bring a little joy into the life of another

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_00]: by the things that we do and the words that we say.

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_00]: We can still be intentional about spreading joy wherever we go.

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Number three, peace.

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Family and personal relationships can cause conflict, turmoil, and stress at any time.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_00]: But the tensions are often heightened during the holidays.

[00:03:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Offer the gift of peace this Christmas by taking the first step.

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: One phone call or conversation may not make amends for years of hurt,

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_00]: but is still the first step that needs to get taken by somebody.

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Number four, hope.

[00:03:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Hope is one of the greatest assets in the entire world.

[00:03:59] [SPEAKER_00]: It's one of the greatest treasures we can ever find for ourselves.

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_00]: And it's one of the greatest gifts we can ever give to somebody else.

[00:04:07] [SPEAKER_00]: See the good in others.

[00:04:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Believe in their greatest potential and encourage often.

[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Number five, reconciliation.

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_00]: At its heart, Christmas is a story of reconciliation.

[00:04:19] [SPEAKER_00]: A baby was born to offer forgiveness to those who need it most.

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_00]: In the same way, the holiday season creates opportunity to offer forgiveness

[00:04:28] [SPEAKER_00]: and reconciliation to those who need it most in our lives.

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_00]: We can take the first step.

[00:04:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Even before an apology has ever been uttered,

[00:04:37] [SPEAKER_00]: we can lay the foundation for reconciliation that makes it possible.

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_00]: And number six, goodwill.

[00:04:45] [SPEAKER_00]: People may desire to harm us,

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_00]: but wishing pain and suffering upon them in response

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_00]: only compounds the hurt.

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Harboring resentment, ill will, and bitterness in our hearts

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_00]: allows their actions to control us indefinitely into the future.

[00:05:01] [SPEAKER_00]: On the other hand, wishing goodwill upon those who hurt us

[00:05:05] [SPEAKER_00]: frees our soul and allows us to move on to better things.

[00:05:10] [SPEAKER_00]: These are the themes of Christmas,

[00:05:12] [SPEAKER_00]: and we should grant them freely.

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe the greatest gifts we can give during Christmas

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_00]: are the very things we most desire to receive.

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_00]: You just listened to the post titled,

[00:05:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Giving the Gift of Christmas by Joshua Becker of becomingminimalist.com.

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:05:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Look, I'm sure there's someone in all our circles who had to dip into their emergency

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[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you to Joshua.

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER_00]: I especially related to the part about joy and how we wait for perfect circumstances.

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_00]: I've definitely been guilty of this, thinking, well, I'll be happy when or once this happens

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_00]: then.

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_00]: But life is never going to hand us perfect circumstances.

[00:06:57] [SPEAKER_00]: And actually, I think by spreading joy to others, we end up finding more of it ourselves.

[00:07:03] [SPEAKER_00]: It's kind of a paradox that way.

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Speaking of paradoxes, there's one that really stood out in this article.

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_00]: How the things we most want to receive are often the very things we should be giving first.

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_00]: That hit me pretty hard because it's so true.

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_00]: If we're feeling unloved, maybe that's exactly when we need to show more love to others.

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_00]: If we're hoping for peace in our relationships, maybe we need to be the ones extending that

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_00]: olive branch first.

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Even with this podcast, when I first started it, I was hoping it would help me find more

[00:07:34] [SPEAKER_00]: meaning and purpose.

[00:07:35] [SPEAKER_00]: But what I found is that by trying to give value to others through these articles and

[00:07:40] [SPEAKER_00]: my commentary, I've actually found more of what I was looking for in the first place.

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_00]: So I hope that it's been helping you.

[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what I want the most.

[00:07:49] [SPEAKER_00]: And with that, thank you for being here every day with me, including holidays.

[00:07:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Hoping that this one goes live on Christmas.

[00:07:54] [SPEAKER_00]: If that's the case, wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

[00:07:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Anything you might be celebrating.

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Have a great rest of your day and I'll see you tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.