The holiday season is upon us. You can feel the current of frenzy pulsating throughout the nation. People are running around like chickens with their heads cut off descending on stores like a swarm of locusts looking for those perfect holiday finds. The average Joe has turned into a savage hunter vying to find the perfect Christmas tree. Once found, it is hurriedly adorned with glittering ornaments and bright lights to produce the just right feel of the holiday spirit. Outdoor landscapes are turning into flashing neon villages that loudly state, “Merry Christmas to all”. Topping this off, in just a few days most of us will partake in a gluttonous Christmas feast that makes us swear that will we start counting calories at the start of the new year.
Hold on; is this what the Christmas holiday is all about?
Give a present to yourself and focus on being present. Take some time to be alone and quiet the “monkey mind”. Take a few deep cleansing breaths and light a candle. Look at the flame and give it your full attention for a few minutes. Focus only on the flame and if thoughts of other things come into your head, keep bringing yourself back to the flame. Stay with this for 15 minutes and you’ll be surprised at how focused and present you feel. This is just one example of how you can practice being present. You can learn how to meditate, take up tai chi, yoga or chi gong which are all wonderful modalities that will enable you to give birth to the Christ spirit that lives within you.
This holiday season also make a decision to be completely present with family members and friends. This can be the very best present you could possibly give. Start with shutting off your cell phone so that you can truly be present to them, look them in the eye, and listen to every word that they say versus thinking of what your response is going to be. Ask them questions based on their conversation and practice being non-judgmental. Engaging in this type of interaction allows their light to shine. What a glorious present that is!
What better way to celebrate Christmas than to give yourself and others the present of being present? It is possible to rise above the materialism of Christmas and reconnect to its true purpose- birthing the Christ within you. Becoming present will prompt this awakening. Awaken to the light within!
