The magic of Christmas

As we come closer and closer to Christmas, I wanted to stop and take time to look at the beauty of this season.

 You see, my wife and I absolutely love this time of the year.  The house looks so cozy and warm.  Buying just the right gifts and then constantly going over in your head the anticipation of how your kids, spouse, mom or dad are going to react when they see that gift –those are priceless feelings.  

The true spirit of Christmas was created out of love and contribution.  The love you have around you and what you give out as well as the acts of kindness you share with your fellow man.  When you look back through history it shows that it is the birth of Jesus Christ, Saint Nicholas Day and then flash forward to today and it is the biggest shopping time of the year.  Our entire economic structure is based on if we spend more money at Christmas than we did the previous year. If that happens,  then we are not in a recession. 

When did we lose sight of the gift of what this season meant?  Now it is filled with people posting online or complaining about how much they hate shopping.  They complain about how much they can't get done and what is going wrong this holiday season.  I want to bring forth right now the learning that this article is trying to point out.  All the things we buy, all the gifts we wrap, all the hectic and crazy times need to be put into only one perspective:  What are the memories we are creating?

As time passes on us, all most of us can recall are four or five of the best gifts we got growing up.  But I am willing to bet that we can recall with stunning accuracy the memories we created far quicker than any gift we received.  The gift may be the vehicle that creates the memory, but the gift will be long forgotten before the memory ever will. 

As you approach this holiday season, I empower all of you to acknowledge the challenges you may face.  Whether they be losing a loved one, lack of money, or whatever it is for you.  Give what you can, give from your heart and I promise you from that place you will build a lasting memory.  The greatest contribution we can all make this holiday season is giving love to the people we come into contact with. 

Remember be positive, be real and live your life In The Zone.

David F Muraco is a certified life coach, motivator and radio talk show host who lives in Oneida. In 2004 he founded "In the Zone", a business dedicated to helping people reach their goals. His column runs every Wednesday in the Utica Daily News.  To contact David, email him at davemuraco@in-the-zone.biz or visit his website at http://In-the-zone.biz