I would like to propose that we re-invent the holiday season. Let’s discard the old and bring in something new. Shall we dispense with the practice of giving and receiving gifts, and simply designate the entire month to feeling gratitude for what we already have? Can we also forgo the habit of making everything about us, to making it about how we can serve the planet, each other, and other species?
The entire human race has been suffering from the disease of narcissism. Our selfishness and greed is bringing us to our knees and bringing us eye to eye with the mess we have made of our world. Could this be the year that we put our foot down to the continued apathy that has trapped the lives of so many in a perpetual nightmare? We do not need to wait until the New Year to make those resolutions to recycle, to eat healthier, and to stop contributing to the massive waste of resources. We can begin today, to ask what it is we can do, to bring more light into the world. We can begin – and end – each day with a grateful heart.
There is so much that we take for granted and when something is taken from us, we want someone to blame. The blame; however, belongs to each of us. We must accept responsibility for our own life, for it is a gift. Moreover, it is a gift that can be taken from us in the very next breath. When we have true gratitude for our own life, it is easier to feel thankful for the others in our life. When we develop that attitude of gratitude, it is easy to feel joy in the present moment, to which nothing may be added or taken away. This is the true meaning that the holidays are meant to impart. Can we tweak the old traditions and fine tune a new way to celebrate? When we live in gratitude, grace follows us. Let’s be thankful for all the good in our world, for the rest of this month. When the New Year arrives, we may find that some of the darkness has disappeared and hope may light our way into a brand new paradigm.
