Gift Wrapping Yourself

I was fortunate to grow up in the 60s. It was a decade where a lot of change happened. It was a time when authority was often challenged. With wide eyes I watched carefully the canvas that was being painted in front of my eyes. I often felt that I was on the outside looking in.

With the British invasion in music, hairstyles and clothing became bolder and quite opposite to what had been there a decade before. The only problem was that I was pretty much the same as I had been a decade before. My hair was slightly longer, but there was no way I would have been mistaken for one of the Beatles. My wardrobe was supplied through Christmas gifts from my brothers and sisters. I certainly had no budget for clothing.

When I went to Ryerson, I took Radio and Television Arts. Many in my class embraced the artistic culture of the day. I felt quite insecure that I wasn’t like them.

I remember mentioning to my teacher, Mr. Desourdy that it really didn’t matter what you wore. It was what was in your heart that really counted. His reply was something that I still think was wise.

He said, “John, do you think what is inside you is beautiful?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Do you want people to discover the beautiful gift you have on the inside?” he countered.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Then the way you present yourself is like the wrapping on a gift. If you wrap it nicely, people are going to want to open it up. If you make it unattractive on the outside, then many may not discover just how beautiful you are on the inside.”

I have since learned that Mr. Desourdy was talking about more than clothing. He was talking about the whole package, including posture and your body language. Another factor is your smile. Unfortunately, there are times when many, including myself, are not aware of the message our gift-wrapping is giving.

If you present yourself in a manner that says that you don’t care about yourself, then don’t expect others to care about you. Yes, you may be very beautiful on the inside, but you have to wrap your gifts well if you want people to notice them.