"Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light." -Albert Schweitzer
Christmas is, in many ways, the most wonderful time of the year. Opportunities to reconnect with family, to relax and reflect, and to refocus on the key aspects of faith are hard to come by these days. However, this week allows us the time to do just that: focus on the present.
There is another kind of "present" that I have been thinking about. Walking through the malls and stores, I feel a bit overwhelmed by the auspicious displays. I have so many gift choices that I get a little bit of shopper's paralysis: I am so afraid of making a poor or expensive choice in a gift that I end up walking out empty handed. Ironically, when my family members open the gifts that I finally decided to choose for them on Christmas morning, they always seem to love them. It confirms what I know in my heart, that it truly is the thought that counts.
This season can, at times, put our minds into consumer mode. In order to snap out of that mindset, I believe we need to slow down, count our blessings, and think about how we can bless others. For what things are you thankful? How can you make another person's day brighter? In my experience, if we keep those questions in mind we will find the perfect present for others . . . even if the physical gift is not perfect.
This year, in order to put this idea into practice, my wife and I decided to donate to charities on behalf of our friends and family members, rather than giving physical gifts to them. These charitable gifts give us the unique chance to thank our loved ones, as well as support causes that they would like to see improve in the world. We have not distributed any of the gifts, but I will let you know what they think!
From all of us here at Simple Truths, thank you for supporting our mission of inspiration, motivation, and encouragement. We have been blessed by your comments, emails, and other communications to us. Here is a little movie from us to thank you this season.
How can you bless others this week?