The Holiday Heart

-Devlyn Steele

We have an endless wealth of love that we can share to make this the richest holiday ever.

What comes to mind as the holidays approach? For many the holidays produce anxiety, pressure and sometimes loneliness. The economic times certainly have not helped as many are feeling overwhelmed with financial stress. It's time to find our holiday heart and get back to exceptional core values. We need to turn our focus to being grateful for the opportunities we have and away from what we feel is lacking.  The holidays present incredible opportunities to share love with those in our lives.

Thinking back on my childhood I have few memories of presents my parents gave me. I am sure there were plenty, but that is not what stands out as extraordinary. The memories that stand out are the special times we spent together. I can remember a summer day in England that my father said to me he would spend the entire day alone with me and do whatever I wanted. Since I have a brother and a sister and my father was always very busy, getting him for a day to myself was a special treat. I remember the day very clearly as it was a typical rainy, slightly cold summer day as we walked through the streets of London. I wanted to see a movie and my father indulged my choice with Planet of The Apes, but we could not get in due to my age. Even with an adult you could not see a movie of that nature in England at that time. We ended up seeing Lawrence of Arabia which I loved. I loved it because we were together. I can remember every detail of that day, but I can't remember a single detail of presents. I can remember my mother cooking me a special breakfast for my birthday, but once again...not the presents.

Finding your holiday heart means departing from what you think you have to do, or have to have to make your holidays special. Concentrate on being present with those in your life. Expressing and sharing your love and your time is the most valuable gift you can give. It is a gift that will always be remembered. We can learn from young children as they are most often more impressed with the box, rather than with the present inside the box.

Think of all the ways you can spend time with honoring and making the people in your life feel special. Give a gift of cooking a special meal and allow your child, spouse or special person to choose the menu. A coupon for a game of catch, a game that will be remembered more than getting the baseball glove itself. The memories you create are priceless and irreplaceable, but gifts come and go. It is the time that we share with those in our lives that are remembered. It's the conversations and connections we make with our children that help mold their character, give them confidence, and forge the foundation for a good life that gifts just can't replace.

Return to spending time with those you love and show them appreciation in new ways. Allow the financial times to push you to find more heart based ways of connecting and sharing the holidays. In all actuality, you can make this one of the most amazing experiences and holidays ever. The inner love and beauty you possess inside far exceeds any material wealth or present you could ever give away. Free yourself of pressure and open your heart and enjoy the real holiday gifts.   

­­­­­­­­­­­­We will be sending a serious of Inspirations based around the Holidays and how to make them better.

All of us at Tools wish you a Happy and Healthy Holiday season.

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