Your co-worker is guilty. Your sister is guilty. Your best friend is guilty. The writer of this blog is guilty. There is even a good chance you are guilty. Guilty of what you ask? You just might be guilty of the dreaded holiday re-gifting. The idea of re-gifting is often thought of as being a bit taboo. It's something you just should not do. By re-gifting you are saying, "Hey, this item is of little use to me, perhaps someone else can find a better purpose for it." Some people would never re-gift while others are habitual offenders. Could there be a common ground between the two extremes? Yes, it is possible. How? Change the thought process behind re-gifting.　

Re-gifting just means to "give again." Why does it have to be so negative? Re-gifting could be an opportunity to give a meaningful gift to someone else repeatedly. For instance, for your sister's birthday last year you may have gotten her something personalized especially for her. If she uses it and loves it as much as you had hoped, re-gift that same item so that she doesn't run out and keep her stock renewed.　

Another way to look at re-gifting is to look at it as a means of "passing on" the notion of a gift, not the gift itself. Maybe a thoughtful friend sweetly purchased something unique for you from a stationer. Re-gift the idea of the things you treasure. Did they invest in a piece that has really been useful and wonderfully unique? If you appreciated the gift someone else might as well.

Re-gifting does not have to mean passing your junk onto the next person. On the contrary, re-gifting can be an opportunity to give a repeat gift you know they'll like or to pass your likes onto others who would be inclined to have a similar taste or need.