We’ve made it to the end of the year! With Thanksgiving (literally) under our belts, Black Friday behind us, Small Business Saturday underway and Cyber-Monday swiftly approaching, the holiday season is now in full swing. It seems like we were just sweltering in summer’s heat and now we’re putting up Christmas trees and putting away holiday leftovers.
The holiday season is an amazing time of celebration. Whether we’re celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah or Kwanzaa, this is the time of year when sharing with friends and family seems to be in full focus. We look forward to gatherings and parties where we get to connect and catch-up with those we care about. Since many of the holiday traditions of this time of the year also include gift giving, we try to figure out what to give to whom and how to present it (gift bag or completely wrapped). It doesn’t matter if we’re seeking the perfect secret Santa gift or preparing the ultimate family dinner, this is the time of year when we focus a lot on bringing joy and smiles to others.
I must admit that Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. It is joyous, exciting and visually stunning. For more reasons than I can count, this time of year brings a smile to my spirit. Wouldn’t it be great if we felt this way all year? Can you imagine what the world would be like if the focus, intention and positive behavior of the holiday season was the baseline for the rest of the year? It could be pretty awesome.
This year as you crank up your holiday spirit, I hope you’ll focus on the things that matter most. While gifts are awesome they don’t always have to be expensive or even tangible. There are some gifts that are worth more than anything we can imagine. Take, for example, the gift of time. In the rush-rush world that we live in, we can take for granted the beauty in spending real time in the presence of our friends and loved ones. This gift serves both the giver and the receiver. Give someone your time this year. Catch up. Listen. Share.
Happy holidays to each of you. Be safe. Be happy. Enjoy!
“Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas , perhaps, means a little bit more.”
—The Grinch
Thanks Sharon for making us focus on what is at hand…..enjoy the moment. …our friends and family. .our lives, now, as it is!
At this time we should tilt and flourish. …otherwise. ….
Hi Sharon, I love this time of year as well. This year, I made a conscious effort to decrease my spending and not go into 2019 with 2018 debt. I plan to spend more time with three little girls that are near and dear to me, rather spending money on expensive gifts.