Well, I’ve always like the idea of preparing for Christmas by focusing not on the commercialism, but on the real magic of Christmas. There’s a special feeling around Christmas that is nothing to do with giving and receiving gifts. It’s about giving and receiving of ourselves and our time and our love. It has a real feel-good effect and that, in turn, passes on to others.
Every year I prepare an Advent calendar at home. I have a cloth calendar, with one little gift bag for each day from the 1st to the 24th December. Along with a little treat of a few sweets or a tiny gift, I put a little piece of paper with a “Thought for the day” on it. It’s as simple as saying hello to people you meet on the street, or hugging someone you love, or remembering to tell someone you love them.
I started doing it when my children were small and, even though they are now grown, they still love the thrill of a little daily reminder that Christmas is coming (and the sweets of course!).
I’m not crazy enough to think that it’s all fun and games. Many people have great difficulty getting through the season. Even more reason to start preparing beforehand. Every day, from now till Christmas, do some small thing to bring your focus to the positive. It might be as simple as taking time to smile and thank people sincerely for any little interaction today e.g. at the supermarket - really thank the assistant, smile and look them in the eye as you say thanks. It’ll make a big difference to them and to you. And if you’re having a tough day - even more reason to bring some light and sunshine into it!
The more people who buy into this, the more relaxed and enjoyable your preparation for Christmas will be. If you’re stuck for ideas any day - follow my Twitter messages. I’ll be tweeting throughout Advent and suggesting a focus for the day. There will be nothing that costs money, just a little of your time and effort. You’ll find it so worthwhile to engage with Christmas in a more positive, stress-free way.
You could even write it out for yourself and pin it up on your noticeboars, or stick it on the refrigerator door, or slip it in your purse where you’ll see it every time you open it. You know yourself how to make the most of it. Let me know how it works for you.
Let’s send a wave of positive energy right around the world! In the face of a lot of negativity, I’m relying on you readers to do your bit. Stay positive. Smile at your friends, neighbours and especially complete strangers. I don’t mean an inane smile that will have them sending for the guys in white coats. I just mean that there’s no tax on smiling - so let’s do LOTS of it!!
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
Leo Buscaglia
How many times a day do you hear or read those words? People even say it to each other when they meet. It’s becoming a catchphrase. Now, if you’re reading this, you’re probably a positive thinking person. Maybe you do affirmations, positive visualizations, sending good wishes and thoughts out into the world or universe when you meditate or pray. That’s great. But what are you doing the rest of the time?
You all know the belief that we get what we focus on, right? Well if you are positive thinking at specific times each day, but then meeting your friends or neighbours and doing the “Ain’t if awful” conversation, which are you doing more of? Will your one hour’s meditation swing it against the three hours you moaned with your friends about the economy, the banks, the unemployment etc.? I’m not saying stick your head in the sand and ignore it. It’s real. It’s happening.
But looking only at the bad means that we focus on the bad. And if you believe that you get more of what you focus on … what do you think you’ll get? A pay rise? An offer of a great new job? A big lotto win? I don’t think so.
So, even when things globally look bad, or perhaps even moreso when they look bad, we need to focus on positive things. They are always there. Maybe we have to look harder. For starters, lots of things have actually come down in price. Lots of foodstuffs are cheaper than before the recession. Buying locally can help support your own community. Petrol (depending on where in the world you live) is cheaper than it was (though it’s creeping up again I notice). For some people their mortgages are coming down.
So can we look at the real things please? Have you lost your job? No? Then look out for ways you can support jobs in your neighbourhood. That can be anything from paying a neighbour’s kid to mow your lawn or wash your car to employing local workers to build your house extension. If you still have enough money coming in, try to spend it in your community and support your local economy.
And my favourite - barter! I’m a big fan of exchange. You can exchange goods e.g. why not have a “garage swap” instead of a “garage sale”? If you have a service that you provide, why not exchange it for services others provide? I don’t think there’s any law against it (if you know otherwise, please let me know because I’ll be in big trouble!). It’s a fair exchange of services. No money involved. Just people helping each other out.
And finally, or perhaps it should be first, gratitude. I know you’ll say it’s all Pollyanna-ish, and new-age, but there are always things you can be grateful for. Start with the obvious - if you have good health, be grateful for that. If you’re well enough to have a job in the first place you’re better off than people who were already unemployed and now have little or no hope of work. If you can no longer afford to eat out, be grateful that you have friends that you can arrange dinner parties with. Take turns to have dinner in different houses maybe once a month or so. You may find that your friendships broadens through meeting new people at house parties.
I could devote an entire newsletter to “Things to be grateful for”, but you know the best ones in your own life. If you’d like to share your favourite ones with me, I’ll be delighted.
