Ahhh….. It’s holiday season. The most magical time of the year, right?
Right?
Well…. maybe not so much!
For a lot of you, this is anything but a magical time. It’s a time of stress, comparison, or depression (it’s been all those things for me at times too!)
Maybe the holidays just aren’t your jam, and all the chaos and Christmas crazies wear you the hell out.
Maybe this time of year causes you to constantly look at your bank account in disgust because you can’t give your kids the caliber of Christmas the neighbors can or you can’t take your family on some winter getaway and celebrate somewhere that looks like it’s out of a Hallmark movie.
Or, this time of year may cause you to look back at the past to how things “used to be” before your divorce or losing your parents.
Regardless of the reason, the holidays aren’t always the greatest time of year for everyone.
That’s why I’m doing this four part blog series on the UNCOMMON gifts to give yourself this year, because regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of enjoying the holiday season, giving yourself these four gifts will make it that much better.
The first UNCOMMON gift that you should give yourself this year, is the gift of gratitude.
In this materialistic, doom-and-gloom, achieve at all costs world we live in, we don’t take enough time to count our blessings.
Last year, for Christmas, my wife and I got our nephew an awesome pair of shoes and some clothes. I’m talking about stuff I would’ve rocked if they were my size.
And do you know what he did? He tossed them aside and got upset that it wasn’t a toy or something cooler.
The nerve of that five year old to want some awesome toys over practical gifts like clothes and shoes, right? (<< that’s sarcasm, FYI!)
But, in all seriousness, while my wife and I understood his reaction, there definitely was a lesson to be taught. It’s the same lesson that I find myself reinforcing to my family, myself, and just about anyone else I come into contact with.
Truth is though, this lesson applies more (in my opinion) for adults than it does for children. At least children don’t maliciously take things for granted. Hell, they don’t even have the mental faculties to do so until their seven years old (that’s the age when the conscious mind starts to develop – it’s all subconscious up until that point << super nerdy stuff I geek out on).
We have a tendency, as adults, to focus on the negative aspects of our lives, while completely ignoring all the positives. And, yet, we have the nerve to wonder why we’re pissed off and stressed out all the time.
Life itself is a gift, and something worthy of our gratitude.
And I’m willing to bet that if you really took the time to sit down and think about it, you could come up with at least a dozen more blessings to be grateful for.
The problem is, we tend to not be grateful for things unless they’re big, magnificent material things. You know, hitting the lottery, getting that unexpected holiday bonus, or being upgraded to first class on that flight you have to take. Those are the “real” blessings, no?
But those “big things” in life are few and far between, and there’s so much to be grateful for outside of materialism. What about the fact that you even woke up today, that you have a roof over your head, or that you’re healthy.
Aren’t those worth being grateful for? (If you say no, I’m sure I could find a line of people willing to go to blows with you over taking them for granted)
Or, when was the last time you were grateful for the fact that you made it through the entire day without a flat tire or wreck, or something like that? You may think that’s ridiculous, but I think it’s ridiculous to choose to focus on all the negativity in your life, while completely ignoring all of the wonderful things.
And I’m speaking from experience here. I struggle with taking my blessings for granted just as much as the next person.
If you are heading into this holiday season and life just isn’t where you’d like for it to be, the greatest gift that you can give yourself is some gratitude.
The reason gratitude is so great is because it shifts your perspective away from all those negative things and on to the positive. Rather than seeing your life as a total circus, you start to see all of the little things that are so awesome and worthy of your thanks.
Gratitude will change your life. It will elevate you to levels of positivity you’ve never felt before, and allow you to see life through a brand new lens. Think about it, if you can be grateful during the hard times, how much sweeter will the good times be?
Oh, and not to mention, your brain can’t process two emotions at the same time. So if you’re filling your noggin’ with some good ol’ G-R-A-T-I-T-U-D-E, you literally cannot focus on the negatives at the same time. (<< you’re welcome!)
So, whether you’re one of those Christmas crazies who plays “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” in July and can’t get enough of the holidays, or Ebenezer Scrooge and can’t wait for them to be over, focus on having an attitude or gratitude (for the little things) this year, and see how things change. I’d love to hear in the comments below how gratitude has changed your life.
Be UNCOMMON!
Justin
