Is there really the perfect gift?
ChanTaL MonTaLdo takes us on an emotional journey through human values, listening, connection and generosity.
A powerful message: the real gift is the sincere emotion, not the price.
Find out how to give (and receive) authentic happiness.
by ChanTaL MonTaLdo
I’m one of those people who thinks that there are no precise times to give a gift. Just look at the definition of Gift in a dictionary:
I firmly believe that delighting someone by showing affection and consideration —thinking that it will make them happy— is reason enough to love giving.
The problem arises when those obligatory dates arrive, in which giving a gift becomes an imposition. Then I start thinking: “Let’s see what I come up with now to make a good impression”.
I usually try to inform myself discreetly, especially if it is a surprise. When I don’t know the person well, I resort to all the techniques we all know to try to find the perfect idea, the one that can make you smile when they open the gift.
In general, I succeed. But I keep feeling that something is wrong… that I could have chosen better.
This year I learned that there is something that will always be a perfect gift: an emotion.
Emotion doesn’t need money. It can be caused by a simple call, a message, an idea, a few minutes of silence listening, or by that smile on the other side of the screen.
And even if I have money to buy something, I stop to reflect:
What could be useful to the person to whom I want to donate it?
Could he need it for something really vital?
Could you consider my gift useless, even if it is very expensive?
And how much is a lot of money, really?
Donating also gives us something. He gives us a thousand emotions, from the enthusiasm of doing something for another to the fear of failure, thinking that he will not like it.
Giving is, without a doubt, a form of receiving.
The economic value of the gift comes and goes, and depends on the economic capacity. If I have a lot of money, I can afford to give a car effortlessly. But the success of the gift depends on who receives it.
If that person has a similar ability, they will probably complain that it is not the right color, or fast enough, or the desired brand.
But if the recipient really needs it to work and can’t afford it — and thanks to that car he can survive, feed and protect his family — then he will be the most grateful person in the world. And he will only see positive aspects in that car that another would have despised.
Incredibly, frustration can arise even in those cases. Those who receive such an expensive gift may feel indebted, for not being able to balance giving and receiving with something of the same value… and maybe he ends up rejecting it.
That’s why I started to give more value to the emotion behind the gesture received. That person who has given, if he knows that the gift has been appreciated, receives something very precious: that longed-for smile. And he feels he has triumphed.
Being generous produces intense happiness, especially when the gift is truly appreciated.
The gift is also appreciated when it comes from someone who has made a great economic effort, offering something that costs the little money he owns.
The happiness we feel is directly proportional to the happiness we see on the face of the recipient.
To generate our personal satisfaction, we may begin to ask ourselves:
What does the person I want to pay homage really need?
If I ask him, what could his answer be?
Will he be offended? Will he really want my gift?
And when it is our turn to receive, let us be sincere!
“I need to eat, it would help me pay a bill, I would like you to listen to me, I want a hug…”
If we communicate sincerely, if we speak clearly, we are all connected in the end. And someone will answer.
If I can’t help you pay a bill, I can listen to you, or put you in touch with those who can. I can also give you ideas for getting that money, or help you see where you could save and focus on what really matters right now.
Giving and receiving happiness is possible. The perfect gift really exists!
Five years later I have learned that we decide the values. Each person has their own criteria, which can also change.
Ultimately, we all have variable values.
Being a controlling person led me to block myself every time something came out of my plans.
For example, I’ve always had a car. Not anymore. 2020 helped me understand my true values much better. I no longer need the car in front of the house, nor 20 party dresses in the closet or 30 pairs of shoes.
Today, I only care about communication, connection and coordination. I dedicated myself to studying my innate abilities and develop them to the maximum. And I continue, every day, now, always.
Knowing my needs and emotions, and applying my analytical skills, made me an expert in EGO (self-knowledge and emotional management).
And now that I know myself—and therefore my values—I decided to use this knowledge to help others discover their own.
I have donated all my experience, my time and my resources to the association that I chair. I act as project manager thanks to my experience in the cultural, social and corporate sectors.
I invite you to join our online help forum, to our online meetings, with a symbolic donation. Objective: to solve concrete problems, in real time.
No more endless videos or courses that always leave you stuck in the same spot!
You can also choose our quick consultations, always with a donation. I will answer you personally for 20 minutes, carefully, discreetly and all my resources at your disposal: ideas, contacts or advice to unblock your situation.
Probably, reading this text, you have thought that these ideas could be the perfect gift, for yourself or for someone you know.
Our greatest heritage is the human bonds we cultivate in life.
Money comes and goes.
Cars are nothing more than an engine and four wheels; We are the ones who give them value.
Houses are shelters, but we are the ones who transform them into homes.
And when we leave — for a period or forever — what remains is nostalgia, which settles in our hearts. That’s where our true values lie.
So this contact that you are creating now, just by reading these words…
Could it be the perfect gift for someone?
Let me know.
Write me on WhatsApp
Read also:
I will arrive: change the means, not the intention
Life is Like Dance, You Live Improvising
Keywords: perfect gift, gift meaning, gift ideas, gift value, gift emotions, giving happiness, self-knowledge, emotional management, online help, help forum, personalized advice, human values, human connections, personal needs, meaningful gifts, emotional gifts, experience as a gift, human bonds, generosity, personal satisfaction.
