The best Christmas present you can give yourself and others? – presence.
I want to invite you to give two extra presents to yourself this year. The gift of presence. The present of presence.
It’s perfect. It’s free, it feels good and it doesn’t require wrapping paper.
It just requires a little bit of time and attention.
Let me be clear about what I mean.
Being present with yourself means being right here, right now. It means you’re not worrying about the future or fretting about the past.
Being present with others means that you give them your full attention, right here, right now.
Can you imagine the level of energy that you would release if you stopped thinking about the past and what you should have done, or what you should have said and how things could have been different? Think of the energy that would be available to you in the here and now if you re-routed the energy you’re using worrying about a future that hasn’t even come to pass. It’s staggering.
Is there anything more delicious than being with someone who is really being present with you? Who is listening to every word you’re saying and really understanding what you’re saying?
Is there any more precious gift that you could give to someone than giving them your full attention?
Is there any more precious gift that you could give to yourself than being present?
Do this for Christmas
Give a present to yourself and to others. For yourself, do this – at sometime during the holiday, take just a few minutes to be alone and quiet. Take a deep breath and light a candle. Look at the flame and give it your full attention for a few minutes. Focus only on the fire and the flame and if thoughts of other things come into your head, keep bringing yourself back to the flame. Make a commitment to yourself that starting now you are going to stay more and more in the present moment – bringing yourself back whenever you wander off.
For the present to others, use this with a family member or friend at a gathering or a party. Decide that with at least one person you are going to be completely present with them. Look them in the eye, listen to every word they say, ask them questions based on what they’ve said to you. Don’t look at other people in the party, other people walking in the door, or your cell phone. Just hang on every word they say. That person will probably not have had anyone really listen to them like that in a long time, and it will feel delicious to them.
These practices are simple, but powerful. They affect everything on all the levels – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. As you do this practice, you’ll find it gets easier and easier, but more and more powerful.
I hope you have a blessed holiday and know that we are here for you. If you’ve been reading my newsletters for a long time, and thought about doing a retreat but you haven’t given yourself permission, maybe this is the year. It’s definitely the gift that keeps on giving. Click here and one of our Angel Guides will call you.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday week,
Debra
Debra Stangl / Founder
Sedona Soul Adventures – Transforming Lives One Soul At A Time
(877) 204-3664
https://sedonasouladventures.com