What gifts could I give you, our readers, this holiday season? Every year, I invest more time in trying to find the perfect gift for everyone I meet along my life journey. Christmas is a time for giving and receiving. This got me thinking; Are you the giver or the gift?
Can I positively impact your life? Not only this December, but throughout the coming years? I’ve observed that Christmas gifts that last forever are not things, but ideas and memories that impact our lives and touch our souls forever. You can feel free to share these gifts with everyone you care for. I offer these gifts to you in hopes of transforming the world forever.
My first Christmas gift is a life filled with compassion. Without compassion for others, life can be very challenging. Take time to be more compassionate towards the other people in your life. Learn how to become a more passionate listener to what you hear. Sometimes listening is enough. Compassionate leaders remove all judgement of others from their lives. Remove judgement and watch how quickly your relationships begin to transform.
Life without compassion for yourself can destroy even the strongest people. For Christmas, learn to forgive yourself. Know that you are doing the best you can in the moment. None of us are perfect, give yourself a break when things don’t work out the way you expect. You will be a better person because of it.
Live a more compassionate life. It’s a gift that can last many lifetimes.
My second Christmas gift is a life filled with inner peace. If you want peace in the world you must find peace for yourself first. We cannot give something we do not have. Work to find peace with who you are. So many people spend so much time trying to be someone they are not.
I believe the secret of so many spiritual masters this world has produced is they have found peace within themselves. Once they found it in themselves, they could freely share it with others. Peace be with you and then with others.
Find ways to spend more time by yourself. Learn to spend time in prayer and contemplation. These are gifts that can lead to a more fulfilling life. The more stressful and busy your life is, the more critical it is to invest in quiet time.
As you begin to accept yourself more, you will find more joy in your life. Once you begin to discover inner peace, you will find very few things upset you. You then can bring your peace to others. The more of us that do this, the more peaceful our world will become.
Learn to bring your peace to every person you meet. This will begin to bring to peace and healing to our world.
My third Christmas gift is a life filled with love and serving others. Love is such a powerful tool for changing the world. The unconditional love of a single person can change a person’s life forever. Ask any successful leader why they are willing to try so many things and explore so many different ideas. it’s because they have had a significant love in their lives.
Do you want more love in your life? Who doesn’t? You must become unconditionally loving. You will transform your world in many new ways beyond what you believe is possible today. Love is a life transforming gift for Christmas. The more you share, the more rapidly change comes.
You can never run out of love. Every time you give love away, the more loving you become. It’s a perpetual gift. If you don’t believe me, ask a parent. The more love they give their children, the more loving they become.
Finally, learn how to find love in service to others. Serving others is the foundation of future leadership. Learn how to bring out the best in others and you will find God.
Learn to love others as yourself. If you find ways to empower others’ gifts, strengths, and life experiences, you will find lasting love.
Now why do I share these Christmas gifts with you? Can these simple ideas transform your life and then our world? What is the point behind compassion, peace, and love this holiday season? Jesus Christ is the living embodiment of these three core principles.
God’s lasting gift to us was Jesus Christ, whose birthday we celebrate this week. His life is a living testament to the values he held so dear. His life is a blueprint to change the world. Now let’s get started.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
See you next week.