Being a Better Human Being: Bringing out the best in each other at Christmas

Christmas can be stressful. The more stressed you become, the more miserable you get.  The more miserable you are, the less patient you are.

Ironically, Christmas is supposed to bring out the best in you, and yet sometimes it does the opposite.

Christmas celebrates the goodness of humankind.  It is a time to be generous, share your love, let go of resentments and give hope to the hopeless.

Do you put so many expectations on yourself? If you do, you are so busy; you have no time to quiet down and open yourself to the spirit?

To find joy again at Christmas, you first need to acknowledge how you feel about this time of year. If it brings you joy, you are on track. If it raises your blood pressure, it is time to make changes.

What are the essential qualities of Christmas for you? Here are some of the qualities that are important to me.  Check these out and see if they fit for you?

1.    Self Love

If you can not love yourself, you are going to find it hard to love another person.

Loving yourself requires you to slow down.  You need space to notice what you need.  Your body, heart and quiet mind will show you the way.

You need to simplify your Christmas plans. Here is what you can do:

·         Block out time for yourself to do something that nurtures your soul. That might include listening to music, walking, singing, meditation, prayer, writing and other things.

·         Only invite family and friends over that bring out the best in you.

·         Remind yourself you do not need to attend every social event that comes your way.

·         You do not have to give gifts to everyone. You might decide in your family to donate to a charitable cause.

·         Leave time for surprises and time to relax.  You don’t have to plan every moment of your holidays.

·         If you have a family meal, you do not have to do it all yourself.

Put yourself first this Christmas. When you are feeling your best, you have so much more to give.

2.      Connection with a Higher Power

You do not have to be religious to connect with a higher power. Yes, God might be your higher power, but it could also be nature, your true self, the earth, the universe, or spirit.

It is reassuring to know that you are not alone. The good news is that you can connect with your higher power through the inner world of your heart, quiet mind and the sensations of your body.

You have fantastic wisdom available to you twenty-four hours a day and every day of every year.

Over time you will get to know the voice of your true self (spirit guide).  You will learn to notice the difference between the voice of your ego, who wants to keep you to the status quo compared to your true self, who desires you to be your best.

Wanting to connect with the Spirit of Christmas without going to Church: Click Here

3.      Love of Neighbour:

Christmas is all about loving your neighbour. Neighbour being any living thing on the earth.

Imagine how you can change the world by choosing to bring out the best in each person you meet.  Bringing out the best in each other does not mean being nice all the time.  It often means challenging people to bring their best selves forward.

It is letting people know when they missed the mark and encouraging them to try again, always learning from their mistakes.

Most importantly, it is about creating a world where all have enough.

4.      Generosity:

In the west, you get caught in the call to consume to keep the economy going. We end up buying gifts for people that they don’t need. Do you have a hard time finding gifts for people who already have so much?

There are many other ways to be generous:

·         Offer your undivided attention to someone you care about

·         Donate to a charity your friend or family member appreciates.

·         You can volunteer for an organization that helps people in need.

·         Intentionally meet a person who is different than you.

·         Choose a person who is alone to join you for a meal over the holiday.

5.      Celebrate Diversity:

Your community is becoming more diverse if you live in North America. 

Look for the holy in every person you meet. 

As you get to meet more people who do not look like you, your ability to have compassion for others will increase.

It is essential that at this time of year that you do not assume everyone is Christian.  If you expect people of other faiths to celebrate Christmas, learn about the different religious festivals so you can acknowledge other high days.

Telling people about your faith and traditions helps you to grow in your faith.  Try explaining Christmas to a new immigrant arriving in Canada from a non-Christian country.

6.      Practice Radical Gratitude

Practice radical gratitude, and you will have the Christmas spirit year-round.

Gratitude is all about thanksgiving. It is thanking the spirit, the universe, God, your better self for the many things you enjoy. When you take the time to notice what you have, you can be thankful.

At Christmas, practising gratitude frees you up from advertising that keeps telling that you need their product to be happy in the world. Having gratitude frees you up to follow the spirit of Christmas within you.

It is hard to be grumpy when you aware of the blessings you enjoy.

Wanting to Survive Christmas when you have a Perfectionistic Tendency: Click Here

Christmas is supposed to be a joyous season of the year.  It is about being your best, being generous, kind, caring and loving.

You can choose to focus on the essential parts of Christmas and let go of the need to consume, show off, give perfect gifts and entertain until your exhausted.

This new way of being is going to take time to practice.  Any new habit needs repeating many times.

So be gentle with yourself as you re-learn how to celebrate Christmas and connect again with the spiritual power of this time of year.

Most of all, make time to slow down and go within to discover the spirit of Christmas working within you.

Finally, do not forget that this spirit of Christmas is a year-round way of life. If you can do it at Christmas, you can do it anytime.

I am Roland Legge, an Identity Coach here to help you be at your best at Christmas and year-around.   You can join my private newsletter list for Free Monthly Advice (Click Here) and get Your Free Enneagram Test (Click Here).