Ah good ol’ Charlie Dickens! He has a good one here. Especially during the holidays. We see and connect with people we may otherwise not. In what seems like a flash, the holidays are over and everyone is lost in their life obligations. It is a bittersweet affair.
What Charlie reminds us of, is that reconnecting can be a joy that makes the pain of parting a little bit easier to take. This is something I go through every morning. Leaving my hot lady and warm bed at 4am is quite a struggle. Soon, I hope to be a best-selling author and not have to deal with this. For the time being, leaving is required to pay the bills.
It seems the more fun we have, the harder it is to leave. Instead of focusing on how much I would love to stay home, I focus on how excited I am to return. In about a month we will be traveling to sunny Jamaica. I’m sure we won’t want to leave as we always make new friends and have a lot of fun. We must look forward to our next visit. Whenever that may be.
In your life, there will be parting that breaks the heart. Instead focus on the excitement of the next reunion. It will make life that much sweeter!
Now that the holidays are over for many of us, it is vital we pick a day to relax. We have spent days and sometimes longer, shopping, cooking, cleaning and generally stressing out. Add to that our normal work and household obligations.
Now it is time to sit back and relax. Cooking is probably not necessary with all of the leftovers we have. Plenty to ponder and be grateful for. There are, of course, the gifts we received. There is also time we had with family and friends, or maybe that our family and friends have finally left. Not sure where you stand on that one. Either way, plenty to be grateful for!
The stress we go through during the holidays can drain our body, our mind and our spirit. This can put us in a dangerous position when it comes to our immune system. Have you ever noticed the ‘flu season’ seems to come right after the holidays? Take some time to take care of yourself before your body forces you to. We all deserve health and happiness going into the new year.
Merry Christmas to those of you who are celebrating. No matter what holiday or celebration you are going to, there are always situations that can catch you off guard. Maybe someone you did not expect to be there shows up and you find yourself without a gift for them. Perhaps you thought everyone agreed to not exchanging gifts only to discover you misunderstood.
These situations can leave you a little embarrassed. Let’s face it, on Christmas day the gift options are limited. There are, however, 2 gift options that are perfect for anyone whether they were on your list or not. These gifts are not only guaranteed to be a success, they are so rare and priceless, they will be enjoyed by anyone you give them to.
These two gifts are being present and genuine gratitude and appreciation. Before you roll your eyes at the notion, give it some thought. How many times can you look around a restaurant and see a couple out to dinner with both of their faces buried in their phones? In a “look at me” world, how many people stop to tell you, “Do you know what i really appreciate about you?” How many times has someone genuinely told you what they are grateful for in their lives?
If you put your heart and soul into these two gifts, you will be the life of the party and make everyone’s holidays bright!
I cannot claim the idea for today’s post as my own. It was my mother who gave me the concept. Where she got it, I cannot recall. It involves having ‘Christmas Moments’. What are Christmas moments? They are the gift of the special moments of joy that you either give or receive from others or the world around you. The secret to these moments is being present and intentional to appreciate and notice them. Being present really helps when you are receiving them and being intentional helps when you are looking to give them. Both of these bring joy to both your life and others.
The photo above is from a recent Christmas party held at the place that Margie and I DJ at on Sunday. Gathered around are some of the wonderful people who visit us on a weekly basis. It was nice to be able to sit and chat without having to work and yell over each other. This is an example of a ‘Christmas Moment’. Another example I have is the other day after a particularly tough day involving car repair, shoveling and working, I came in to discover that my lovely lady had a nice hot ginger beverage waiting for me on the kitchen table. It both warmed my body and my soul. In the time it took to drink it, I treasured this Christmas Moment.
You might be thinking, “Those Christmas moments sure sound wonderful. I wish I could give them to others!” You are in luck! Giving Christmas moments is just as fun and even easier than receiving them. During the crazy holiday season, there are endless possibilities to give gifts of kindness and encouragement. It just might make the difference between breaking and being able to go on to a stressed out retail employee. Even fellow shoppers are extra stressed this time of year. Many lines are longer, items may be out of stock, not to mention weather is a constant stressful factor.
How do you give a ‘Christmas Moment’ to someone else in these stressful times? Thanking a hard-working employee and letting them know you appreciate them would be priceless. Smiling and letting a person push their cart past you can lessen the stress during their shopping experience. There are Christmas moments that nobody else may notice but you. Returning your cart to the store so the employee will have one less cart to gather up in the inclement weather. You may not think one cart would not make a difference, but imagine if everyone who thought that brought their carts back? You may not get a pat on the back for this, but you will know in your heart that you did something that made someone’s life a little easier. That is a Christmas moment.
I am sure you can think of a million other ideas for Christmas moments that you can give or receive. I would love if you would share yours, but even more if we will just go out and enjoy giving and receiving them.
Here is hoping your Holiday season is coming along quite well. One question that is always difficult for me to answer is, “What would you like for Christmas?” The same is true for my birthday and any other celebration. I may have finally come up with the perfect gift. Looking at my life, I certainly have enough ‘stuff’. Probably more stuff than I need. My relationship is amazing and with the most beautiful lady. Time spent with family and friends are always so rewarding. My job pays me fairly well. What possibly could be something I am missing?
The gift I am speaking of is continuation. How many people ask for that under the tree? When you have a life like mine, there is so much to be grateful for, why would you need anything on top of that? All I would like is more of the same. Waking up next to the woman I love. Having a job to go to. Being able to work out and continue my journey to good physical fitness. Coming home to that same beautiful and wonderful woman. Going for walks and out to coffee with my mom. Trips to the zoo and museum on occasion. Great conversations with friends. Having the privilege of sharing my thoughts and the tools and strategies with wonderful souls around the country and around the world! These are all gifts I would just like to continue in the coming year.
Are there challenges in my life? Sure. My job is not the most inspiring and does not make the best use of my talents. The weather where I live is far too cold for my liking. There are miscommunications with those we care about. There are many different challenges. Do I wish for those to continue? Yes, actually I do. It is those that allow us to grow and become better versions of ourselves. They are not always fun, but sometimes there are necessary. They also test our commitment and resolve towards becoming that best version of ourselves. Are you living a life that if it were to continue as it is that you would be grateful? If not, what is standing in the way of that and how can you change it? This holiday season, let us collect our blessings and gratitude and understand they are the greatest gifts of all.
Everyone is concerned about giving gifts others will enjoy. Some even done themselves crazy until they find what they think is the perfect gift. I can be a little guilty of that myself. In my book, Living the Dream, I reveal a secret of how to get inside information to discover that gift.
Today we will look at one gift that is universally appreciated. It does not cost a lot but is also rare and priceless. How can that be? Let us take a look.
The gift we are talking about is gratitude. Not just a simple thank you. Although that can go a long way during the busy holiday season when everyone is stressed. We are talking about genuine, heartfelt gratitude. Taking time to not only voice, but show what you appreciate about someone. That can be in a Christmas card, in person over Thanksgiving dinner or over coffee.
Gratitude is also a gift we should remember to give ourselves this holiday season. Be grateful for all of the people you have the opportunity to brighten their holidays. Feel genuine gratitude for not only the blessings you have, but the troubles you do not. We often spend our time doing the reverse.
Gratitude is the best give we can give this holiday season. It will warm hearts and bring smiles. It will help reduce stress and increase joy. What are you thankful for?
After all the gifts are open, the gatherings have been had and family and friends have departed, it can seem the holiday cheer has dissipated. Today, however, it’s a good day. We can think of the thoughtful gifts and greetings we received and feel thankful. We can reflect on time spent with family, friends and those we love and careabout with gratitude.
Even after any stressful holiday moments, we can still be grateful we have made it through. Above is one of the coffee mugs I bring to work with me. It is a good reminder that every day is a good day to have a good day. If we search for the positive and that which we are grateful for in every day, it will be a good day. I would love to hear about some of your heart holiday memories from this year.
Here at secret2anamazinglife.com, we are honored and grateful to be followed in over 200 countries and by over 100,000 people. As you can imagine, this covers a wide array of faiths, cultures and beliefs. There is one thing that remains the same. That is our desire that everyone may enjoy this holiday season with their friends, family and those they love. May they be able to do so with health and peace and joy in their hearts. Another firm desire is that those of different beliefs may find the peace and love to honor each other and celebrate together.
In a world that is all to often filled with division and hate, let us use this holiday season to reach out and connect with one another in the spirit of humanity. Although our traditions may differ, we all enjoy time spent with family, friends and loved ones. Let us celebrate this common ground with one another. Share a fun tradition you do with another. Maybe share a dish that you make this holiday with another family or group of friends. Most importantly, greet one another with a spirit of togetherness. May your holiday celebrations be filled with joy and love.
This holiday season, the best gift you can give is to be the best gift! As we talked about last post, by expressing gratitude and genuine appreciation? Who would not want to hear why people think they are an awesome part of their life? The true gifts of the holiday are the times we share and the people we spend them with. Another great idea is to share happy memories you have while you are creating new ones. Maybe start a new enjoyable holiday tradition that will bring joy to all of those attending?
These are ways in which we can bring amazing gifts while being the best gift at the party. Make this holiday the best by giving others inner joy to carry with them not only during the holiday season, but all year long! This is what holidays should be all about. If you have any suggestions for adding joy and happiness to our holiday season, or fun holiday traditions you celebrate, please share them with us in the comments. In this way, you will be adding joy to those who read this blog in over 200 countries, celebrating a wide array of holidays. Here at secret2anamazinglife, we wish you and yours a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.
Just remember this holiday season, to leave kindness wherever you go. The holidays can be tough for many and your joy may be the only joy they see. Being kind to one another is the greatest gift we can give this time of year.
SECRET 2 AN AMAZING LIFE 