How Giving a Gift Can Inspire Your Loved Ones

Photo by Lina Trochez on Unsplash

There’s this famous saying that goes, “It’s not the gift that counts, but the thought.” This quote from Henry Van Dyke rings so much truth to it. For one, a gift can serve to be inspiring or motivational.

Let’s talk about the factors that make a present inspirational. After that, let’s check for some tips on choosing a gift that brings inspiration to our loved ones.

What makes an inspiring gift?

Without you realizing it, a gift for someone you love can inspire or motivate them. Although you thought it wasn’t a big deal, your gift turned out to be the most beautiful thing they got so far.

Whether you’d love to inspire or motivate every person through gift-giving, or you want to know what makes a gift so special, we tackled it all here. We explained the important factors everyone should know about gift-giving and how they inspire a recipient.

As such, recipients find gifts inspiring if:

1. They’re handmade or personalized

Nothing feels more flattering than receiving a handmade present from a loved one. The effort and thoughtfulness that went into making the present make it priceless. That is even regardless of the finished product.

In a study released via the Journal of Marketing, researchers gathered that gift recipients appreciate handmade gifts rather than mass-produced items, as they are imbued with love. Recipients even appreciate presents bought from a shop as long as these gifts were specially made for them — like personalized ones.

2. You got them something they genuinely want to receive

According to Allison Pugh, a sociologist at the University of Virginia, giving gifts “is an expression of truly seeing the other person and knowing what they want.”

Buying an inspiring gift for a loved one means getting them something they’d want — something that reflects their lifestyle and hobbies. This also goes without saying that you need to get them a unique present. They’d appreciate your gesture even more if you get them a gift that they’ve been talking about for months.

3. You got the same present for yourself

While it’s lovely to give a friend something they’d want, research suggests that a loved one would even appreciate it if you got the same present for yourself. Marketing professors Sam Maglio and Evan Polman call it “companionizing.”

Photo by Leon Wu on Unsplash

Maglio and Polman said that a loved one might feel closer to you if you get yourself the same present you gave them. Shopping for friendship bracelets or couple shirts could help foster the bond, thus strengthening the relationship.

4. Someone special gave it to them

There is something beautiful and exciting about getting a present from a loved one.

Thoughtful gifts from our friends and family are much appreciated as they often communicate their affection towards us. Irrespective of their monetary value, these presents demonstrate their emotional expression and increase a bond or add a spark to a relationship.

Tips on How to Choose Inspiring or Motivational Gifts

Gift-giving doesn’t come naturally to most of us, but we can achieve it like anything we set our minds to. Here are three golden tips for choosing inspiring gifts your loved one would surely appreciate.

1. Choose practicality rather than instant gratification

Expensive, on-trend fashion finds or gadgets are a great gift — they hardly disappoint a recipient. However, the downside of getting a loved one the latest anything in the market is that they often give short-term pleasures. They are also mostly impractical.

It is ideal to get a loved one a gift that they could use for a long time and experience its long-term benefits. That is compared to giving them something that could only give them quick and instant enjoyment.

2. Give them what they want

Often, we purchase a gift for a loved one because we think it’s what they want.

When shopping for a friend or family, always consider what they want. Remember what they’ve been raving about for months, or stalk their socials to get an idea. Refrain from picking what you think they’d like and shop for a gift that reflects your recipient’s lifestyle or personality.

3. Price doesn’t matter

The biggest mistake of gift shoppers is treating gift-giving as a holiday sport. In our effort to express our affection and gratitude for our friends and family, we give them expensive gifts. However, this may not only wreck your budget but make the recipient uncomfortable.

If you’re already out there ready to shop, step out for a while and evaluate if they’d like your present. Would it wow your loved ones, or would it leave them feeling pressured?

Give with feelings!

In our current society — where everything is instant — giving gifts for a loved one has often become more of a stressful affair. Instead of giving gifts to show our appreciation or loyalty, we give presents like they’re an obligation.

A gift should demonstrate our gratitude for someone’s presence in our lives. Whether store-bought or specially handmade, gifts should ultimately come from the heart.