Do you give great gifts? Perfect gifts? Are you that person?
Each of us has that at least one person in our world who’s just a better gift-giver than everyone else. They make a high art out of giving just the right gift.
That’s a powerful skill to possess, my friends.
With Valentine’s Day next week, I asked the three Gift Artists in my life to share their secrets with you. Here’s the last of three.
Paul Boomer. Brilliant web consultant. Everyone calls him Boomer … except Scotty … who calls him, appropriately as we approach Valentine’s day, Sweet Boom.
Take it away, Sweet Boom.
I don’t have much of a process other than listening to people. And observing.
When you listen and observe during conversations and from afar, let it be with a group of people at a dinner or on Facebook or on twitter, you get to know a person at a different level.
You get to know what’s in their soul and what moves them. If you understand those things you can come up with some gift ideas rather quick. In many ways it’s kind of creepy what I’m explaining, but is simply a deeper observation of people.
But, it’s not just about my observation. It’s also about the recipient. It’s hard to find gifts for those who may be a bit more materialistic. Those who are more materialistic seem not to show their heart and soul as much as others which makes a harder to observe and come up with ideas.
Once I have an idea of what’s at one’s soul and heart, I’ll make a note of it in Evernote, or on a piece of post-it, or little piece of scrap paper and stick it in the back of my notebook. Once I make those notes, I have a smart category set up in the hit list so that any time I feel it’s appropriate by a gift I have record of some ideas. I keep record forward not only my friends, family, clients, enemies, but also myself.
Any tips for others? Listen. Listen to what people say and how they say it. Observe the non-communicated cues. Take note and write your ideas down the moment you have them. Keep track of them in a little black book or in a database or whatever works for you. But the biggest thing is to observe people – what they say and what they do.
When you give a gift that touches somebody at a deeper level, there is a bond that takes place that one cannot really explain. That bond is not about being that guy or that woman, it’s about sharing a commonality of life and soul, a commonality that we’re on this planet together and that in many ways we share the same successes and struggles.
There is a deeper meaning to giving good gifts than just seeing somebody smile – it’s something bigger. Something one cannot explain.
Thanks, Sweet Boom. He once gave me a pen. As a writer, I value a good writing instrument as much as I value good verbs. He made the pen. By hand. Yup, you read that correctly. I can’t explain to you what that means to me.
Tomorrow on The Daily Blur, a sweet announcement about your generosity, and what you’ve inspired our family to do.
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