It’s November and I’m excited! As anyone who knows me can attest, this is my favorite time of year. To me it’s the beginning of the holiday season; a time of love, gratitude and giving.
You see, I believe that love and gratitude are the most powerful of all emotions, easily trumping fear, anger and negativity. Is there any other time of year when love, gratitude and giving are more freely expressed than during the holiday season? I think not!
So while I try to do my best throughout the year to make love, gratitude and giving a daily focus, for the holiday season I intensify my efforts. Here’s how…
Practice present time consciousness. With every activity, instead of just going through the motions, I make a conscious effort to think about what it is I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and how it’s impacting the world. For tasks like wrapping gifts and sending holiday cards, this may seem like a no-brainer. But what about paying bills and running errands? While maybe a little more challenging at first, it is possible to find the giving, love, and gratitude at their core. This practice can actually make the most monotonous of tasks quite inspiring!
Believe in divine timing. They say there are no good and no bad experiences; they are all neutral and it’s our own thoughts and beliefs that label good and bad. Try to tell yourself that while you’re stuck in traffic and late for an appointment! Yet, you can certainly look back on any “bad” experience and find some speck of “good” that came of it. At this time of year I practice trusting in divine timing; everything is as it should be at this moment in time, and all will be revealed at the perfect moment.
Be thankful for everything. Instead of complaining about the cold, be thankful for the crisp air and frosty beauty. Rather than lament your busy holiday schedule, give thanks for the friends and family who want to spend time with you. As you roll out of bed each morning, start your day with a “thank you” as your feet hit the floor, and set the tone for a wonderful day!
Be of service. It would be wonderful to spend time volunteering or somehow serving the less fortunate this time of year; it’s what the season is all about after all. But what about the everyday simple acts of service, like allowing a hurried mom to go ahead of you in the checkout line, opening the door for a stranger, shoveling the walk for an elderly neighbor. They take merely a moment, yet when given with love the ripple effect from these simple acts of service is far reaching.
They say that the holidays can be a stressful time, and I admit it certainly can be hectic. Here’s my holiday stress-busting tip just for you: Place your focus on love, gratitude, and giving, and make this time of year your favorite too.
Kim
Sister of Soul
Soulspiration of the Week:
“The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now. And the more grateful you are, the more you get." ~Oprah
You see, I believe that love and gratitude are the most powerful of all emotions, easily trumping fear, anger and negativity. Is there any other time of year when love, gratitude and giving are more freely expressed than during the holiday season? I think not!
So while I try to do my best throughout the year to make love, gratitude and giving a daily focus, for the holiday season I intensify my efforts. Here’s how…
Practice present time consciousness. With every activity, instead of just going through the motions, I make a conscious effort to think about what it is I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and how it’s impacting the world. For tasks like wrapping gifts and sending holiday cards, this may seem like a no-brainer. But what about paying bills and running errands? While maybe a little more challenging at first, it is possible to find the giving, love, and gratitude at their core. This practice can actually make the most monotonous of tasks quite inspiring!
Believe in divine timing. They say there are no good and no bad experiences; they are all neutral and it’s our own thoughts and beliefs that label good and bad. Try to tell yourself that while you’re stuck in traffic and late for an appointment! Yet, you can certainly look back on any “bad” experience and find some speck of “good” that came of it. At this time of year I practice trusting in divine timing; everything is as it should be at this moment in time, and all will be revealed at the perfect moment.
Be thankful for everything. Instead of complaining about the cold, be thankful for the crisp air and frosty beauty. Rather than lament your busy holiday schedule, give thanks for the friends and family who want to spend time with you. As you roll out of bed each morning, start your day with a “thank you” as your feet hit the floor, and set the tone for a wonderful day!
Be of service. It would be wonderful to spend time volunteering or somehow serving the less fortunate this time of year; it’s what the season is all about after all. But what about the everyday simple acts of service, like allowing a hurried mom to go ahead of you in the checkout line, opening the door for a stranger, shoveling the walk for an elderly neighbor. They take merely a moment, yet when given with love the ripple effect from these simple acts of service is far reaching.
They say that the holidays can be a stressful time, and I admit it certainly can be hectic. Here’s my holiday stress-busting tip just for you: Place your focus on love, gratitude, and giving, and make this time of year your favorite too.
Kim
Sister of Soul
Soulspiration of the Week:
“The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now. And the more grateful you are, the more you get." ~Oprah
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