As a child growing up in a mining camp in the territory of Alaska, the only way to obtain Christmas gifts was through the Sears Roebuck catalog. I would leave the catalog where my parents could find it opened to the page with the toy I wanted, the latest fad. We did not have money for such luxuries and invariably I would receive practical gifts of needed clothing such as pants, shirts and socks. But, looking back I realize that they had given me a gift most precious: the gift of advice.

Yes, advice is a gift and should be treated that way. This gift provided me with the knowledge and the instructions on how to have a happy and successful life.

An important piece of advice was to think before I acted. If I would be sorry tomorrow for what I did today, I learned that I should not do the deed today. Life is filled with temptations and there is much pressure to do what is easy and not what is right. The advice from my parents was not to give in to these temptations.

“Don’t burn bridges” was an important piece of advice I learned. If I had disagreements with my brother, a friend or a classmate, I was not to react emotionally or angrily. I did not want to create an enemy. I learned that one could disagree without being disagreeable. This was easier on the digestive system and others would respect one even though they did not agree.

Keeping one’s word and always being honest were other important pieces of advice passed along to me. If one did not, credibility and trust would be lost.

I was advised that good communication skills were critical to success. An individual with strong presentation skills has an advantage over one who is tongue-tied and unable to speak well. I was advised that the ability to speak clearly and concisely is similar to the cutting and polishing of a diamond. The grinding and polishing do not add anything to the diamond, it merely reveals its worth. Developing good communication skills reveals an individual’s worth by promoting self-confidence, fostering the ability to be easily understood and enhancing leadership capability.

Another important piece of advice was to learn how to manage my time. It has served me well in life to be able to organize and prioritize my time, to commit only to projects that truly are important and to be punctual in completing a task.

Another precious gift I received was the advice to never be afraid to seek assistance. I found that I could learn much from one who was knowledgeable in a particular field.

Successful individuals have mentors who assist them. Knowledge is a precious gem that should be sought and this means turning to another. Failure results if one is too embarrassed or too stubborn to seek assistance.

I hope each reader has a Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday and that each receives a precious gift this holiday season.