The term 'Submission is a gift' is mostly derived from individuals attempting to explain the lifestyle to people who are curious of it, or else, people who are against it and trying to understand why someone would do such things.

Submission is a consensual act in where the sub/slave relinquishes all rights to say what goes and what doesn't to the Dom/me they are submitting to, thus, giving them power and authority over what is done. In many ways it could be construed as a gift. While minute, there is an act of turning over power before play begins, admitting that it's something you both mutually want, and it's the sub/slave's way of showing how much they trust their Master/Mistress. In that light, Dominance is a gift given in turn, a reaction if you will, to the sub/slave's gift of submission.

In this light, submission and Dominance are both gifts, just not something you're able to tangibly touch, something not material. And, in my opinion, those kind of gifts are the ones that count more than anything anyone can buy with money.