Hey there,

As mentioned in the summary above, I’ve had some experiences that feel like they are straight out of a hallmark movie.

Today, I’ll be sharing some personal stories from this holiday season.

I hope that this letter inspires you to give heartfelt gifts and to share your talents whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Let’s get into it! 💫

Giving Gifts

A few weeks ago, I went to an activity at our church. We made holiday cards.

As soon as the activity started, I knew who I was going to give my card to. Her name is Jean, and she is an elderly bundle of sunshine.

This is the card I made for her:

Well, to my surprise, she had made a card for me too.

One thing is for sure, it heartwarming to receive an unexpected gift. Even if it is just a handmade card.

While we were exchanging cards, she pointed out that the winter scene is "just so peaceful".

And as soon as she said that, I knew that I needed to give her a Christmas gift.

So I went home, and with the good vibes were still swirling around me, I made a Christmas gift for her that she would be able to keep for the rest of her life.

I remembered how much she liked the original scene in the card she gave me, so I used it as inspiration.

By 3 AM, I had an imperfect, but heartfelt gift that was ready to be framed and wrapped.

I didn’t have a chance to snap a photo, but on the back of the frame, I wrote this little message:

Rarely do I give art as a gift.

Part of me just can’t bear the idea of spending hours on something and then having the recipient say, "oh, that's nice" and then toss it in the trash when I'm not looking.

This would probably never happen, but when I spend hours of my life creating something, I just want it to be appreciated.

I knew that if I gave Jean a piece of art, it would be appreciated for sure.

And guess what?

She appreciated it.

Good grief, it does feel great to give a gift and have it be appreciated.

This is worth considering as you anxiously finish all of the christmas shopping you’ve been procrastinating on.

Alright, let’s shift gears a little bit.

Heartfelt Performances

As I teased in last week’s letter, I recently performed “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch“.

Not once, not twice, but three times. All over the course of the past weekend.

Interestingly, each time I performed the song, the “stakes“ increased.

• Friday: performing around family and friends from the comfort of our home.

• Saturday: performing around family, friends, and everyone else at our church.

• Sunday: performing in front of a packed crowd at the Stake Christmas concert.

This schedule turned out to be an effective way to get the best performance out of me.

Just think about it…

If you are performing in front of a crowd and want to have your best performance, then performing a couple of times in a more comfortable environment will help you break off the rust, work out the kinks, and elevate your confidence.

I am convinced that my Sunday performance wouldn’t have been anywhere near as strong or smooth, if I hadn’t “rehearsed“ in a safe environment beforehand.

Getting up in front of a group of people, regardless of the size, can be nerve-wracking, and sometimes, it can be downright scary.

But you can’t let those fears prevent you from standing up and sharing your talents, voice, and ideas…

By failing to overcome your fear, you minimize the positive impact that you can have on the world.

Here is a random fact that I recently learned:

Yikes.

This fear of performing in public is a deep-seated evolutionary mechanism meant to protect you from doing something dumb that might get you kicked out of your tribe.

So, if you want to overcome your fear of performing in public, you must find a way to overcome your fear of judgment and negative evaluation.

And I am sure that there are many ways to do this, but here is how I think about it…

Fear Of Judgment

To counteract your fear of judgment, you need to perform in front of a non-judgmental group of people, or at least people that you feel safe around.

But what if you don’t have a safe, supportive environment in which to rehearse?

You will need to do some “shadow boxing“ until it becomes to natural for you that you can do it in front of other people.

On that note, there is an interesting anecdote in Psycho Cybernetics (one of my fav books) about “shadow boxing“.

I’ll paraphrase, but this is how I remember the story:

You need to condition your nervous system to the point that expressing yourself well is just second nature.

You will be much less worried about the judgment of others if you are so dang prepared that there is no way for you to perform poorly.

At least that is what makes the most sense to me.

What I am coming to realize is that the reason that people are afraid of performing in public isn’t just because of the fear of judgment or criticism.

It is really because most people are nowhere near prepared enough to perform with confidence and conviction.

When you are ill-prepared, it is easy to think that people will poke holes in your performance. Because, let’s just be honest, if you haven’t practiced, you are quite likely to make mistakes - and probably some big ones.

So maybe we aren’t just afraid of being judged… perhaps we are just lazy?

I don’t know for sure, but next time you are thrust in a position where you need to speak, present, or perform in front of a group/crowd/audience, ask yourself where the fear is coming from.

Are you afraid because of what people might say? Or are you afraid because you haven’t practiced enough to dull the fear in the first place?

Something to think about.

I really hope that today’s letter inspired you to put a little more heart into your gift giving, this year. Giving gifts is a profound exercise that greatly benefits both the giver and the recipient. I say this is an important reminder for both of us.

And when it comes to sharing your talents, I hope that you don’t let the fear of criticism prevent you from standing up and standing out. Yes, it can be extremely nerve-wracking to put yourself out there publicly, but just like giving a gift, it benefits both the performer and the audience.

And one final thought to wrap things up…

People will always respect effort and preparation.

When you give someone a gift, I think the effort behind the gift is more impactful than it’s monetary value. To remind you, the gift that I gave Jean cost me less than $2 to make (if that), and even though it is riddled with small imperfections, it is impossible to overlook the effort that went into it.

And on that same note, when you speak or perform in front of an audience, even if you make mistakes, your level of preparation will shine through and that preparation is what people will remember long-term.

If you don’t hear from me before the 25th, then Merry Christmas and may your holidays be filled with joy and music.

All the best to you and your family,

Cliff