Life coach corner... (From Worcester News)

Life coach corner...

9:56am Sunday 23rd December 2007

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It is a cliche but the old saying "it is better to give than to recieve..." is very true for me this time of year. I love shopping for my friends and family trying to find them a personal gift. But spare a thought for the many hapless men (and women) i see struggling round the shops with just hours to go frantically searching for a gift - any gift just so they have something to wrap up for xmas day! I guarantee you that i will see many people tomorrow (christmas eve) rushing round and then complaining that the shop has sold out of the thing that they really wanted (please you know that christmas comes round at the same time every year so plan ahead!)


It takes me a long time to shop so i always start a couple of months in advance. My wife and i set a budget for presents otherwise you can go silly and spend fortunes. When you have been with somebody for so long it should be easy to find a present for them as you know them so well (12 years together, married for 9 and a half) HOWEVER.... when you try hard every year to find something they really want you eventually run out of ideas so this year i have had to be a bit more creative (all will be revealed after xmas!).

The best feeling especially with kids is watching their face as they open up something they really wanted. My daughters face was a picture a couple of years ago when she got a big car to play in she wouldnt get out of it for hours!

It doesnt matter how much you spend, if the gift is right for the person then it cost 50p or £1000. If you have done your homework and know what the person will like then the moment when they open it and smile will all be worth it. I love buying presents for people for this reaction, it makes it all worth it. The best ones are those small presents that are really personal, that you spend time trying to find, maybe something silly but something that hopefully they will find ' just right ', something appropriate to them or something that shows you have put some thought in.

So if you have bought your bloke a pair of socks and a jumper again (hopefully my father in law cant read this cos thats what we have bought him again!) then dont be surprised when they dont beam from ear to ear - or if you have bought your wife a new kitchen appliance dont expect a spectacular reaction!

Enjoy your christmas ....

james