This doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it's another great reminder how nlpworks.
The other day Jack and I were talking about what we could get Jennifer for mother's day. Jack suggested we get her a Dora blanket. I wasn't so sure.
So I did what I suggest YOU do whenever you want to buy a gift for someone...
I took a few quiet minutes and thought deeply about Jennifer, thinking about what's going on in her life these days, what's going on with us - how she finished a grueling month of personal taxes etc.
In other words, I went into "Second Position". I began to see the world through Jennifer's eyes, imagined her internal dialogue, and began to think about what I might want for Mother's day.
Suddenly I had it.
I grabbed Jack and we hit the mall. Couldn't find it there so we went to a specialty shop and got one of those cool Italian coffee makers that makes one large cup of coffee on the burner, bubbling the water through the coffee grounds.
This morning Jack and I made Jennifer breakfast in bed. I used the new coffee maker and brought it up to serve the coffee on the tray (with a flower Jack brought home from school), and she looked at me with wide eyes and asked, "How did you know? I was talking to Saundra about those coffee makers on Thursday!! I wanted to get one that made only one good cup of coffee...how the heck did you know???"
I shrugged and smiled.
So the next time you want to buy a gift for someone, take a time-out. Sit in a comfy chair and think deeply about what's going on in that person's life. Imagine that you're them; look at the world through their eyes...wonder about the internal dialogue that goes on in their brains, and notice how you feel as you think about what they might want.
You may be surprised how well it works...but not as much as they'll be when you hand over the perfect gift!
