You can never step into the same river twice, for new waters are always flowing onto you.
-Heraclitus, greek philospher
***
Christmas is a truly a time for the giving and receiving of gifts. Children wait anxious for weeks for the arrival of Santa Claus and the gifts that he places under their Christmas tree. Teenagers are filled with excitement about exchanging presents with their close friends. Adults spend a great deal of time and energy trying to find the perfect present for everyone on their Christmas list. Christmas gift giving is deeply rooted in tradition. So strong is the tradition that the early Christian church tried to outlaw the custom, but the people cherished the tradition too much to let it go. Attempting to incorporate the custom of giving gifts into the Christian faith, church leaders justified the practice by the exchange of gifts between the Magi from the East and the baby Jesus. The Magi brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. And, the baby Jesus gave the gift of eternal salvation for the entire world.
Each year we make a list of who to buy for and what to buy. Yet, each year, we seem to forget one person. One very special person; that person is "You." This year I ask that you think about yourself and give yourself a Christmas "Present." Now I'm not talking about running out and buying yourself the latest and greatest material gadget. I mean committing to live in the "present." To live in the present, you must let go of the past, and not worry about the future. It means letting your senses take over and feel the power of the present moment. I’ve learned a very valuable lesson about living in the moment from owning dogs. Dogs are happy by nature. They have no concept of time. Hence, there is no past to weigh them down or a future of fearful uncertainty. The past haunts us and the future scares us. You cannot control the past or the future. You can, however, control the present moment!
So, when all of the presents have been unwrapped and when the excitement seems to wane, find yourself a quiet spot. Close your eyes and breathe deep and slow. Feel your chest expand as the air rushes in, and the release of pressure as you exhale. As you feel a sense of relaxation, think about all the gifts that you have. We all have many things to be thankful for yet with our busy lives we tend to take them for granted. We tend to take for granted the little things in life: the food in the refrigerator/pantry that nourishes us, the abundance of water that quenches our thirst, the house/apartment that keeps us safe, the electricity that gives light to darkness and helps makes things a little more comfortable for us, our family and friends that love and supports us, the list goes on an on. I bet if you really took the time to look at all the gifts that you already have, you would recognize how truly blessed you are. Perhaps the most important gift that we have is often overlooked and misunderstood. It’s the gift to choose our own happiness. This Christmas and everyday after, embrace the concept that you can choose to be happy.
This Christmas, I wish you for you the Christmas “Present”. Hopefully, this Christmas, taking the time to live in the present moment will make you feel grateful, relaxed and offer you peace of mind.
It’s your life: live it, love it & celebrate it!
MJD
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
We Are the World
"The value of a man resides in what he gives and not what he is capable of receiving."
-Albert Einstein
United Support Artist for Africa: Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belafonte, Lindsey Buckingham, Kim Carnes, Ray Charles, Mario Cipollina, Johnny Colla, Bob Dylan, Sheila E., Bob Geldof, Bill Gibson, Daryl Hall, John Oates, Sean Hopper, James Ingram, Jermaine Jackson, Jackie Jackson, LaToya Jackson, Al Jarreau, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis, Kenny Loggins, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, Jeffery Osborne, David Paich, Steve Perry, The Pointer Sisters, Steve Porcaro, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick, and Stevie Wonder.
-Albert Einstein
Last night while driving home, I heard the song We Are the World. The song transported me back in time to 1985 when the song was first released. A group of famous musicians (see below), who called themselves USA for Africa (United Support Artist for Africa) recorded the song for the benefit of the famine-stricken country, Ethiopia.
We Are the World was written by Michael Jackson & Lionel Ritchie and produced by Quincy Jones. The song was released in March of 1985 and reached number one on Billboards Hot 100 chart in less than a month. The song was named Billboard’s number one song of the year for 1985.
The chorus tells us that when we give to others, we not only help others, but we help ourselves.
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
We Are the World was written by Michael Jackson & Lionel Ritchie and produced by Quincy Jones. The song was released in March of 1985 and reached number one on Billboards Hot 100 chart in less than a month. The song was named Billboard’s number one song of the year for 1985.
The chorus tells us that when we give to others, we not only help others, but we help ourselves.
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me
When we’re truly appreciative of all the things we have, we naturally feel compelled to share those things with others. St. Francis of Assisi, in his Peace Prayer says, “For it’s in giving that we receive.” When we give of ourselves for the benefit of another, we in turn receive the gift of spiritual and emotional development. In essence, by giving to others, we are, saving our own lives. Each time we give of ourselves, we grow as a person, but more importantly, we grow closer to God.
They key to giving is appreciation. If you’re not appreciative of what you have, you’ll always want more. You can’t be a giver, if you’re a taker. If you’re not satisfied with what you have, your life’s focus will be on acquiring, rather than giving. If you don’t feel you have enough money, you’ll want more. If you don’t feel you have enough material possessions, you’ll want more. If you don’t feel you get enough attention, you’ll want more. You get the picture! If you don’t think you have enough, the last thing that you’ll do is give away something that you don’t feel you have enough of.
I ask you to commit to living a life of appreciation. Commit to being aware of everything around you and finding the value in it. Remember that when a person is experiencing a happy state, it’s because they’re appreciative of something. We really do have a great deal to be thankful for; we just need to make the conscious effort to bring it to the forefront. Make a list of everything that you’re thankful for; add to it when appropriate. Review it in the morning when you get up and at night before you go to bed. It’s a great way to start and end a day!
When we realize we live in abundance and are appreciate of it, we’ll feel compelled to share our abundance. And, when you share your abundance, you'll find that you really do make a better day. WE ARE THE WORLD!
It's YOUR Life: Live it, Love it & Celebrate it!
MJD
When we’re truly appreciative of all the things we have, we naturally feel compelled to share those things with others. St. Francis of Assisi, in his Peace Prayer says, “For it’s in giving that we receive.” When we give of ourselves for the benefit of another, we in turn receive the gift of spiritual and emotional development. In essence, by giving to others, we are, saving our own lives. Each time we give of ourselves, we grow as a person, but more importantly, we grow closer to God.
They key to giving is appreciation. If you’re not appreciative of what you have, you’ll always want more. You can’t be a giver, if you’re a taker. If you’re not satisfied with what you have, your life’s focus will be on acquiring, rather than giving. If you don’t feel you have enough money, you’ll want more. If you don’t feel you have enough material possessions, you’ll want more. If you don’t feel you get enough attention, you’ll want more. You get the picture! If you don’t think you have enough, the last thing that you’ll do is give away something that you don’t feel you have enough of.
I ask you to commit to living a life of appreciation. Commit to being aware of everything around you and finding the value in it. Remember that when a person is experiencing a happy state, it’s because they’re appreciative of something. We really do have a great deal to be thankful for; we just need to make the conscious effort to bring it to the forefront. Make a list of everything that you’re thankful for; add to it when appropriate. Review it in the morning when you get up and at night before you go to bed. It’s a great way to start and end a day!
When we realize we live in abundance and are appreciate of it, we’ll feel compelled to share our abundance. And, when you share your abundance, you'll find that you really do make a better day. WE ARE THE WORLD!
It's YOUR Life: Live it, Love it & Celebrate it!
MJD
United Support Artist for Africa: Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belafonte, Lindsey Buckingham, Kim Carnes, Ray Charles, Mario Cipollina, Johnny Colla, Bob Dylan, Sheila E., Bob Geldof, Bill Gibson, Daryl Hall, John Oates, Sean Hopper, James Ingram, Jermaine Jackson, Jackie Jackson, LaToya Jackson, Al Jarreau, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis, Kenny Loggins, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, Jeffery Osborne, David Paich, Steve Perry, The Pointer Sisters, Steve Porcaro, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick, and Stevie Wonder.
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