The holidays are here. Celebration and commercialism are partners at this time of year. Expectations and grief are magnified. Joy is tenuous. We can feel “less than” when we are overwhelmed by the happiness we imagine others are enjoying. The magic or sorrow of childhood beliefs can be an open program running through our minds. Memories of years gone by, people who are no longer in our lives, and changing circumstances drift though our thoughts whether we want them to or not.
We cannot help but remember the past. For some it is a joyful looking back. For others there is too much pain so we turn our heads away and refuse to look. Whatever our culture, religion or our spiritual leanings, the holidays are an emotional time.
In spite of everything else going on in our lives, the holidays are also a sacred time. It has been so generation after generation, from culture to culture. Indigenous nations as well as more traditional societies have found reason to celebrate the coming of the light at this time of year. As the days go by, darkness blankets the earth and announces a time to go inside, both physically and metaphorically. The wild animals have sought out their dens for a long winter’s sleep. They have made ready a soft lair in which they can safely retreat.
Stillness mounts within as the nights grow longer. We look forward to the coming of the light. The world outside of us is a busy place. Being active and pushing our limits is a way to ward off the stillness that nature is preparing for. There is a lot to do before winter wraps its arms completely around us. Lights, decorations and customs call to us. Gifting and the preparation of special food delights us.
Hearts soften and become more open at this time of year. Charity is revered. We want to be a part of something greater than our own wants and yearnings. There is a desire to help those less fortunate so they too can celebrate and be full before the winter’s sleep. Life is a mystery and more so at this time of year when nature is preparing for a spiritual retreat.
This is a wonderful time of year to take advantage of the celestial goings-on and create time to look within. Regardless of circumstances, regardless of joys and sorrows, regardless of who we will share our light with, and who will be missing from our table this year, this is the perfect time to consider our inner life. Happiness, true joy is an inside job. It cannot be bought, bartered or stolen. We are all responsible for our own inner light. We are answerable for own happiness.
My guides remind me, and each of you, to take time, everyday day if we can, to quiet our minds and focus on the light that is growing within. They ask us to focus on our hearts and feel them beating like a drum. Each heart, each drum has a song and a story to tell. With each beat, life force pulses throughout our bodies reminding us we are alive. The beat of our heart comforts us. It prompts us, over and over again, to be aware of this tremendous gift of life that we have.
There are many who leave the earth plane wishing that they had more time. We, however, have the time and a wondrous opportunity to grow our spiritual light. Our decision to look within is supported by seasonal change throughout the holidays. We have the power to connect with true joy.
Spiritual light can move through us and energize us. Our hearts can open. We can receive the light that is available when we still the mind and enter into the spiritual realms through meditation. We have the power within to become beacons of light. We can become like lighthouses that shine brightly for troubled ships and souls lost at sea. The light we nourish within is the greatest contribution to world peace that we can make.
As we involve ourselves in holiday activities may we enjoy our family, friends and the strangers we encounter every day. May we see their light. Let us strive for compassion and thoughtfulness to be our rule of thumb, our default. There is no better time of year to indulge in courtesy and random acts of kindness.
As we open our hearts to the quiet stillness of our inner world we will find peace. Taking the time to go within will make perfect balance with the outer events in our life. In the sacred space between the in breath and the out breath, magic and wonder will be restored to our experience of the holidays.
Think of the holidays as a box of CRACKER JACK®. Open the box and enjoy the popcorn. Don’t spill the caramel corn while looking for the prize. May we enjoy what we have, and trust that the prize will be revealed.