Recognizing Our Gifts
“A friend is a gift you give yourself.” — Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894, Novelist and Poet)
We are literally, and physically surrounded by gifts, but often do not see what is inside each of them, nor what is deep inside of our SELF. Each of us, having been given a ‘life assignment’, is in constant motion—discovering how exactly to unwrap that which we have been given. Learning to see inside the package, the ‘gift’ of a friend is illuminated right before our very eyes. Do you truly see your ‘gifts’? Do you see the ‘gifts’ inside those who surround you? One of the best ways to appreciate our ‘gifts’ and the ‘gift’ of a friend is to go on a ‘gift exchange’; sharing what you see in a friend, and asking them to share what they see inside of you, is a powerful way to enjoy the present (another word for ‘gift’) and dig up some of the precious jewels that always reside inside the proverbial ‘gift’ package…
Have you ever paid any attention to the idea that there are “two sides to everything?” Think of how often you have heard that.
Your cerebral computer, commonly referred to as the brain, contains a biological chip I like to think of as your Weight and Balance Happiness Scale. This remarkable scale automatically weighs every known alternative available to you at any given time and chooses the one it believes will result in the greatest amount of happiness for you. 
If we observe the personal development industry and what self-improvement teaches us as a philosophy, it is easy to assume that the bigger part of it is self-centered. However, the core of personal development, or the idea that has been much altered and modified throughout the years suggests otherwise.