Anyone who watches the “hard news” on TV each night or reads about all the mayhem in their local area will easily develop numbness to anger, pain, controversy, suffering, death and other distasteful events. It may be too much to ask that we do a 180 turn just because the holidays are here. But life has a way of challenging us. Someone once said “if you don’t feel the warmth of the holiday season you shouldn’t fear death because you’re already dead on the inside”. That’s a bit morbid but the point being made is well-taken. For some of us the holidays are a form of lubricant that helps us to adjust our attitudes the rest of the year; for others, it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back and sends us down a dark road. So, if you’re one of the lucky ones who feels seasonal warmth and dives into the holiday spirit–consider yourself blessed. But, if this is an especially tough time of the year for you look outward from yourself. You are probably better off than many others.; so there are many people who could benefit from your outreach. Make yourself feel better about yourself by making others difficulties just a little easier to bear. The opportunities are endless–especially at this time of the year. Maybe that’s a good contagion that will infect your heart and move you to the positive side of the track. Remember “it’s better to give than to receive” and the “good book” says “whatever you give will be returned to you a hundredfold”. Give yourself the gift of hope by giving others the gift of love. Those are gifts you’ll never want/need to exchange.
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