The Christmas "Present"

You can never step into the same river twice, for new waters are always flowing onto you.
-Heraclitus, greek philospher

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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