As the world gets ready to celebrate Christmas Day, what will be your one abiding lesson this year?
It has been a tough year for so many people around the world. There has been so much doom and gloom around us – but only if you choose to focus on that.
As you get together with your loved ones, remember there is so much beauty and joy to appreciate around you, if you allow ourselves to do so.
For instance, the last few days in Europe have been a testimony to our spirit and powers of endurance and agility. As people have struggled to get to their families through harsh weather conditions, it shows what we are made off.
No matter what, we get through such tough times and now is the time to reflect on and appreciate our great gifts – and to know who we really are and what we have in our lives.
Ultimately, you can choose how this holiday season is for you.
You can choose to love the Christmas shopping, the queues, the crushes in the stores, in the same way as you love the seasonal music in stores, the feeling of sharing and the spirit of goodwill.
In the same way, you can choose how your life is everyday in 2011.
If there is one lesson you can take away from this season of goodwill, let it be this lesson from the classic Christmas film Scrooge:-
‘We act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more.
For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people we always hoped we would be.’
As you enjoy the Christmas festivities, please reflect on this.
And in 2011, make it one of your goals to be THE person you always hoped to be, ALL year around.
Happy Christmas everyone – and thank you for giving me this space to share my thoughts.
?top image coutesy of kevindooley
My lesson this season is to open my heart most fully to love..This month, I am hosting a couple whom I nicknamed “Love Personified” on my boat..which means that healthy, whole, peace filled, beauty filled love is in my personal space reflecting magnificent to me. This holiday season I continue to embrace new and different and allow it to be about the experiences rather than expectation or obligation. There is amazing freedom in embracing love and releasing expectation..a peace filled way to wrap up this year and usher in the new..
Thank *you* for sharing refreshingly uplifting, motivating, inspirational material in your space! I very much appreciate all that you share here!
Joy, hope you had an amazingly love-filled holiday period. But knowing you, each day is like that for you anyway:-)
Wishing you all the best for 2011 and beyond.
Dear Arvind,
Now, this is a New Year’s resolution I can get behind:
“And in 2011, make it one of your goals to be THE person you always hoped to be, ALL year around.”
A worthy intention if I ever saw one.
Happy holidays to you and thanks for encouraging and uplifting ALL year round, Arvind.
Big hugs,
Lauren
Thanks Lauren!
I hope your 2011 has started well – though I guess you are already the person you always wanted to be all year around:-)
Choice. I just wrote about the freedom we have to choose in every moment whether to be happy. So how timely to read your post about choice!
My one abiding lesson this year has been to “attend,” which was the focus word I chose for 2010. To pay attention, to listen, to trust, to be present, to be open. It has been a good word, which has guided me through big decisions and transitions this year.
I have had a wonderful time this year blogging, meeting new cyberfriends, being inspired, amused, informed, and challenged by the many excellent blogs I’ve been reading, including yours! Thank you for being part of my life this year.
Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2011!
Galen Pearl
Thanks Galen.
It has also been great to meet you and read your blog too:-)
Wishing you an amazing 2011.
And thank you Arvind for sharing your insights and wisdom with us, it’s been a pleasure. Hope 2011 brings you what you desire and need, and a very happy holiday period to you 🙂
Thanks Stuart.
Great to meet you too – and I wish you too all the best for 2011.
And thanks for your guest post – it will be up soon:-)
Arvind: What a great post and a great message. Christmas really is a great reminder of how we always need to feel, love and behave. I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and I am so looking forward to reading all your wonderful wisdom and insights in 2011 🙂
Thanks Sibyl – hope you had a great holiday period.
As you say, Christmas is a great reminder of how we always need to feel, lvoe and behave. But sadly, it’s all forgotten too soon.
Wishing you all the best for 2011:-)
Well, Arvind. I think you know the lesson I shall learn and take with me into 2011. It’s this:
‘When you don’t know something, admit it, and don’t be afraid to seek help from those who know better than you!’
Mnay thanks for all your help and wise words on this blog. I look forward to more in the coming year.
Linda, you are most welcome! Glad to see your blog up and running now:-)
Asking for help and being open to receiving and accepting help is actually a lesson I want to learn rapidly in 2011!
Arvind,
You have done and achieved a lot in 2010 and wishing you much joy and success in 2011. I had a great year and meaningful celebrations with family and friends filled with more love and less stuff. It was nice. How about you?
Wishing you very happy new year!
Preeti
Thanks Preeti for all your kind words and support throughout 2010.
Like you, I had a meaningful celebration with family and friends, filled with more love and a lot less stuff.
Here’s to an amazing 2011 all around:-)
Dearest Arvind,
This is an amazing message for this season…cause you are right..it can be the gloom doom residue of the whole year carrying itself into the holidays too.
I love how you have emphasized on the “choice” cause indeed it is ultimately our choice our decision….
Thank you for sharing such a positive and loving message…
So Much Love,
z~
Zeenat, thank you!
As you say, we always have a choice in how we feel and what we focus on.
Thanks for all your friendship in 2010 – and here’s to an amazing 2011!
Love and bessings,
Arvind
Arvind, Your Christmas message is really great:
“No matter what, we get through such tough times and now is the time to reflect on and appreciate our great gifts – and to know who we really are and what we have in our lives. ” “Ultimately, you can choose how this holiday season is for you.”
I like your recommendation – “make it one of your goals to be THE person you always hoped to be” – I shall 🙂
Hope 2011 is a phenomenal year for you – filled with all great things
Aileen, glad my Christmas message resonated with you.
May 2011 be the year when you really take on being the person you had always wanted to be. I shall be keeping an eye on you:-)
Happy 2011, everyone!
Arvind,
I’m a bit late…or maybe I’m really early for Christmas 2011! In any rate, I love this message – taking the beauty of the Christmas season, and making a part of our every day.
Here’s to this new year being filled with moments of deeper connection, and from that, being more fully ourselves…
Peace and all things good,
Lance
Happy New Year, Lance!
You are welcome here anytime, late or early:-)
Here’s to all of us being more fully ourselves in 2011.
Love and gratitude
Arvind