I’m excited to be dropping back into your inbox to wish you a very happy holiday season– and of course, to give you some food for thought as we enter into a NEW DECADE!
Gift giving, and all of the precursory tasks, are a hallmark of the holiday season: brainstorming, shopping, buying, wrapping… it’s amazing how much time and energy we pour into this annual ritual. (No joke, I spent the better part of a coaching session this week helping a stressed out client streamline his schedule in order to have enough time to shop for presents…) Needless to say, it’s a lot.
To be fair, there are obvious benefits to this process– not the least of which is watching a loved one’s face light up with excitement when they receive something meaningful. Moreover, gift giving is a legitimate love language and for some people, it is the primary way in which they like to give and receive love.
That said, in the name of greater self-awareness and personal growth in the new year ahead, I want to offer a paradigm shift. One that veers away from the traditions of holidays past, but has even wider reaching benefits including enhanced relationships, greater work performance and higher levels of well-being.
You ready?
Here it is.
PRESENCE > PRESENTS
As you march into the holidays and into 2020, consider this: perhaps the thing that people in your life want and need most is YOU. Fully engaged. Right here. Right now.
Not distracted by your cell phone. Not working infinite hours without boundaries. Not ruminating over things in the past that you can’t change. Not worrying about things in the future that you can’t control.
Just your full presence. A greater mindful awareness of this moment and the opportunities within it to connect, to be grateful, to be joyful.
If you were to prioritize presence and double down on full engagement in 2020, how might your relationships improve? Or your work performance sharpen? Or your emotional well-being elevate?
Culturally, we are programmed to believe that things, material items, presents will finally deliver us the feelings that we most wish to experience: joy, fulfillment, connection. But those feelings are already available to you. Right here, right now. And the real prescription, my friend, is presence.
Wishing you a very happy holiday and a spectacular 2020!