And so it goes this time of year when we all gather with our families, eat more than we should and share gifts to represent our gratitude for one another. And I always like to take the time to remind myself and others that there is no gift more precious than presence. It sounds cliche, but we’ve all heard the phrase, “They call the present moment the present because it is a gift.” And I couldn’t agree more.
It seems (and maybe you all can relate) that the older we get, the more stressful this time of year gets. Well, why is that? When does the transition go from winter wonder and excitement of what surprises await us under the tree to us wanting to rip our hair out by the time Dec. 25th rolls around? I think it’s pretty obvious that at some point, we stop making the curious, child-like, light-hearted spirit of the Holiday our top priority and instead have put the truth of what that really means way at the bottom of our list.
As we age, become adults, “grow up” or whatever term you prefer to use, it appears that most of us lose the connection to that inner child. We get caught up in the rat race of responsibilities including our 9-5, perhaps raising our children, going to college, etc. Whatever the case might be, we tend to shift our focus from wonderment to worry and let’s face it, that makes every day, including the Holidays, just a little less miraculous…
It seems that the simple joys of spending time together, talking and learning about one another, playing games and laughing, sharing memories and stories and of course making new ones in the process, are sadly getting over-shadowed by “stuff”.
As technology grows to allow us to keep in touch with those farther and farther away, it seems to be creating a disturbing distance between us and those who are actually right in front of us, often times leaving them wondering why they are no longer deserving of our attention over that game of Angry Birds or your Facebook feed. More energy and focus is placed every year on material things; on presents rather than presence. And we as a collective so desperately need to get back to that place of the true Holiday spirit. The spirit of giving, the spirit of togetherness, appreciation and gratitude.
So, how do we re-ignite that spark of true Holiday spirit? Well, for one we remind ourselves that there is only NOW. The past is but a memory, a lesson to be learned, a joy to be felt again in your heart, a pain to let go of. The future is a but a dream, a plan, a vision, a hope a goal…or if you let it be…a fear. And this is exactly what tends to stress us all out not just this time of year, but every other day of our lives we might feel disconnected, over-worked, under-appreciated and just out of touch with your purpose in life.
The key to reconnecting, balancing your work and living life the way you want to, and getting in touch with your purpose is always found within this moment. In fact, everything is in this moment. And perhaps if the greatest gift to give our loved ones is being with them in the here and now, then the bow on that present would be to make sure they know how much they are loved the remaining 364 days of the year.
Here’s wishing you and yours a most amazing & joyous Holiday!
Tamara Rant is a Co-Editor/Writer for CLN as well as a Licensed Reiki Master, heart-centered Graphic Designer and a progressive voice in social media activism & awareness. She is an avid lover of all things Quantum Physics and Spirituality. Connect with Tamara by visiting Prana Paws/Healing Hearts Reiki or go to RantDesignMedia.com
Tamara posts new original articles to CLN every Saturday.
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This article was originally created and published by Conscious Life News and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Tamara Rant and ConsciousLifeNews.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this Copyright/Creative Commons statement.
