I’m a spiritual person, but I’m not religious. I’m not particularly materialistic either, so Christmas is always a mixed bag for me. It’s very easy to get carried away with all things Christmasy and end up with family grumbles, putting on weight and presents you don’t really want, that you end up shipping off to the charity shop at some point next year.
I decided to resolve my mixed feelings about the commercialism, over-eating and stress of the Festive season a few years ago. There’s no getting away from it (unless you take a holiday to a non-Christian country) so we might as well enjoy it, right? so I really thought about what I wanted it to mean for me, and this is what I came up with:
Love and Giving
This is a classic Christmas theme, I know, but I decided to think about it in non-materialistic terms. So the expression of love is not about giving presents, but about verbalising love to all my friends and family; giving is not about shopping but about giving generously of my time and my love. Christmas for me is a reminder to be kinder and less judgemental – an expansion of energy, rather than a contraction (which is often what happens in the overwhelm of Christmas) of energy.
Appreciation & New Beginnings
Every year, I see Christmas and New Year as the threshold between the old and the new; between the journey so far, and the journey that will come. It’s a time of being grateful for all the lessons I’ve learned, through all the experiences that I’ve had during the year; a time for getting excited about what next year holds for my personal growth and the expansion of energy that I can create for myself, that I can share with my friends, family and clients.
Remembering to make Christmas less about ‘things’ and more about the love that you can generate, first for yourself, then for your loved ones, and then for everyone else, is wonderful! It’s all about where we choose to focus our awareness.
So, every time you feel a contraction of your energy over the festive season, try to bring your awareness to it. Become aware of where you’re holding the tension in your body and consciously relax, breathing deeply and releasing the tension. You have the chance to change any stressful or difficult festive season experiences into learning that will take you to bigger and better places of fulfillment and joy in 2012. Let this year’s festivities be the start of next year’s potential for you!
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