Holiday Magic and Connection
The holiday season is upon us — with all its festivities and excitement, and its promise of reconnecting and magical mysteries – but also its potential for stress, over-consumption, overwhelm, and depression.
I’ve always loved this time of year. Yet it challenges me: how to increase the moments of magic and connection the season can bring, and decrease the stress of my To Do list with its trend towards over-consumption and hectic activity?
This year our extended family decided to cut waaay back on the big gift exchange, and that’s certainly helped with my To Do list and sense of waste.
But what about the moments of magic and connection that I treasure? How to get more of them?
Well, there is a gift that my husband, kids, extended family, friends, and even strangers really appreciate, and it costs nothing at all: the gift of my full attention and compassionate listening.
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Being fully present like this is a present we rarely give people.
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Yet it’s one of those presents that makes both recipient and giver feel wonderful.
I invite you to join me and practice giving “the present of being present” this holiday season.
Let’s see if we can catch ourselves being judgmental, or not listening, or feeling too busy for someone – and then let it go, so we can see the actual person in this moment and listen to them with an open heart.
Maybe being willing to give our full, non-judgmental attention to another human being might create a sense of connection between us. Hmmm….
Maybe giving this present to our loved ones, the people we think we know everything about, might even lead to new discoveries and deepen our bond.
Sounds like magic to me…
