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It was Christmas Day for a grown woman, now in her twenties and deeply entrenched in nursing school. She had received many gifts that day and appreciated each one. Amidst the pile of wrapping paper, her grandmother gave her one last gift.

It was wrapped in a large box, with yet another wrapped box inside. About three boxes in, she found the gift that brought her to tears.

Was it a piece of jewelry? An expensive new gadget?

No.

It was…a piece of cardboard!

But not just any piece of cardboard.

It was a note that this young woman had written when she was just learning to write, a love note to her grandmother that she had given her for Christmas years before.

And now, her grandmother gave that gift to her.

The tears came, and she was speechless.

This is the gift of connection.

It said, “Thank you for your gift of words, and now I give these words, with love, to you.”

Connection

This year, as you celebrate the holidays, take time to give the one gift that means the most of all: connection.

In a world that is more electronically connected than ever, and yet personally disconnected, real life connection matters more than ever.

Connection looks different for each person. But, essentially, it is finding a way to communicate with your friends and family in a way that says you value each of them uniquely.

For some, this may be as simple as words on a piece of cardboard. For others, it may be an act of service or simply the gift of time. It may be listening to an older relative who needs someone to talk to or getting down on the floor to play with a grandchild. It may be sharing a special story with someone about a favorite memory with them. It could be a shared experience, like a family dinner, going to a favorite show, going to a park, or being with a loved one who is in the hospital.

In the frenzy of the holidays, take time to connect in a special way with each person. In today’s world, this may just be the best gift of all!

For valuable resources on Leadership Strengths and Tools, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!