This week's tip is about gifts that have no financial cost. It's a great reminder to us all that wonderful gifts are available for the giving every day. In order for me to enjoy my own family this holiday season, this is the last Coaching Tip of the Week for 2005. We will return on January 6, 2005. Until then, keep enjoying this holiday season and may the New Year find you healthy, happy, and full of joy.

by Helen Wilkie

The stores are gearing up, shoppers are shopping, there’s music in the air and the cash registers are making their own music. Despite the pleasure of buying and giving gifts, sometimes the process gets out of hand and the January credit card bills bring us back to reality with a crash. But there are gifts we can give over and over throughout the year, gifts that cost no money at all.

The gift of understanding: The basis of good communication is understanding, both at work and in our personal lives. When someone is explaining a problem or a difficult situation, sometimes a simple "I understand" is the gift that helps that person begin to find the answer.

The gift of respect: Often we give total strangers more respect than we offer our nearest and dearest. When you truly listen to another point of view and realize that the other person’s opinion is just as valid as yours, you offer a gift that helps build his or her self-esteem.

The gift of humor: Sometimes we take ourselves much too seriously, particularly at work. By all means take your work seriously, but when it comes to human interaction, lighten up! When you take a moment to share a joke or a laugh with a co-worker or a friend, you give a gift that lifts the spirit.

The gift of conversation: In this age of mass entertainment, television and video games are increasingly usurping the place of good old fashioned conversation. By entering into meaningful discussions with people, you give a gift that honors their humanity.

The gift of time: We live in times of frenetic activity, in which quality time with family and friends often becomes a casualty of misplaced priorities. By making time to be with people, you offer a gift that lets them know they are important to you.

The gift of friendship: There’s an old saying that you can’t choose your relatives but you can choose your friends. By choosing to be a friend, you give a gift that lasts a lifetime --- and there’s no law that says you can’t be a friend to your family, too.

The gift of a smile: A smile doesn’t exist until you give it away. By smiling at people throughout your days, you offer a gift that lifts your heart as well as theirs. My December holiday is Christmas, and I will be offering again the age old prayer for Peace on Earth, one that is especially poignant given the current state of our world.

Whatever holiday you will be celebrating, may you give and receive all these gifts of the heart, both now and throughout the coming year.

My best wishes to you and yours!

From "Communi-keys", the e-zine of professional speaker, trainer and author Helen Wilkie. Visit http://www.mhwcom.com and subscribe, and Helen will send you her free 40-page e-book, "23 Ideas You Can Use Right Now to Communicate and Succeed in Your Business Career!"

This holiday season consider giving gifts of the heart. Does it feel different? Consider how you can continue to give gifts of the heart all year long.

Novakowski Family Gives Holiday Donations

Each year in the beginning of December, we sit down as a family to talk about giving to others. This year, our children, Jamie and Anna, once again chose Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ( http://www.dana-farber.org/how/gifts) to receive our family's gift. Why? Jamie said it quite well, "Rather than having one person or family benefit, we want to contribute to a cause that will impact advancement in a field. This has the potential to benefit many."

We also selected a local group to support. Ashland, the town we live in, has just completed a beautiful new library. They are in need of funding for chairs for the library. This is a way to attract more people to the library . . . a wonderful resource for the town.

Coach Andrea's Coaching Tip of the Week is brought to you by Andrea Novakowski, Master Certified Coach who provides Business and Personal Coaching to Corporations, Businesses, and Individuals. Andrea is a professional coach who partners with people to set goals and create momentum to produce effective results in their business and/or personal lives.

Andrea is available for individual coaching. If you are serious about reaching your goals and living with greater fulfillment and satisfaction, consider using a coach. To schedule a COMPLIMENTARY initial consultation, send an e-mail to Andrea at
andrea@coachandrea.com.

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