When Christmas items start to appear in the stores, it is a good time to think about gifts. Offering a gift can be a mutual pleasure; some might say it should be a pleasure for giver and recipient. A problem with a modern commercial Christmas, however, is that buying gifts can become a burden. Often it is a pressure in the dying days before Christmas Day, as everything gets left to the last minute.

In fact, the true gift should bring with no stress, it should come from the heart and not be out of duty. If someone is resentful of having to spend time and money buying Christmas gifts, then the result is not a gift but a token of duty.

We are filled our life with work, commuting, rushing here and there, stress, and self focus. How about time and attention for those who really matter in your life whether offspring, other relatives or friends? The choosing of a gift, and presentation of it, can be a silent way of giving each of them special attention, and then culminating with their pleasure at the receipt of the gift.

Behind every good present there is a person who worked hard to make the best choice. The secret to buying the perfect gift is to think about the message you want to send out, when the receiver opens it.

You can see that if you put some real selfless effort into choosing gifts, the value of the gift is magnified for your friends. That is something which will shine through the wrapping paper. The choosing and the giving of a gift are inseparable.

It is a good time to start thinking about what kind of gifts that you will prepare for your friends by the time Christmas comes.

When you prepare the gift, think about the love, respect and caring that you feel for those to whom you will be giving instead of the pressure from gifts choosing or money paying. That way you will beat the stress before it surfaces, and enjoy the act of giving as a true pleasure.