“Giving your presence might be the best Holiday gift you could give someone this year.” – Ken Fite
With the holidays fast approaching, many of us are scrambling to finalize travel arrangements, the holiday food menu and the wrapping of Christmas/Hanukkah gifts. Holiday traditions are deeply rooted in our society, but we must not forget the importance of quality family time and making memories with those closest to us.
I recently returned from a 10 day adventure in Bali, Indonesia and appreciated the fact that they are a close-knit community where everyone knows each other’s names and people look out for each other. They don’t have a lot of material wealth and as a result, they place a heavy reliance on each other’s kindness, compassion, and selfless deeds to get by. Their de-emphasis of the acquisition of material wealth allows them to cultivate abnormally strong, long-lasting, and dependable relationships with one another.
What if I told you that money was not the only type of currency? Health, relationships, quality time, family – these are all forms of currency. While we might believe we only work for one type of currency, each one of us places value on a variety of currencies. Which one do you value most? How can you shift your focus to an intrinsic type of currency this holiday season?
Presents are great, but the high of receiving a gift wears off in hours, maybe even minutes! As you move through the holiday season, you have a choice as to what will be the focus and what will be the blur. If you are not careful, all the busyness of the season – social obligations, family issues, financial considerations and time crunches will all become the focus, and joy will become the blur. Rather, tap into mindfulness and allow happiness, connection and celebration to be the focus and the currency of your holiday season.
