November Message

Message from Spirit this week:

So this week marks the beginning of the holiday season and the countdown to Christmas. It is a holy time of year for many as they celebrate their religious dates of importance. That is all well and good. I admit I would like to see more giving to the needy and caring for the impoverished. There are so many going without basic necessities. Going within and seeing what needs to be done in your community would be a good start. Is there a program through your local schools to help kids? Are there spaces asking for clothing donations? These are all basic needs of those less fortunate than you. It is a good place to start. 

Then do kind things for others. Bake for them, cook for them, or stop by to say hello. These are all nice things that don’t cost much but mean a lot. Go to your neighboring businesses and support them if you have to buy a gift. These are small, important ways to help your community to thrive. And it helps your neighbors who run these businesses. 

Give thanks every day for all you have and all you enjoy. So much of the world goes without and will never know the luxuries at your fingertips. Be thankful. This gratitude becomes a gift in and of itself. You slow down in appreciation. You slow down in recognition of all you have and do not seek so much more when you acknowledge what you have every day. There is no need for more, more, more. 

Find a place and time to sing or dance or both and to enjoy the merriment of the season. Do not spend it all stressed out and trying to get so much done. Enjoy. Savor. Be present each moment. Make time to spend with loved ones and make it more about what you do together than what you get each other. Find some joyful activities. Engage in those. Go for a Christmas hike. Enjoy a concert where they ask you to sing along. Dance. Go to a party. Talk to people. Celebrate the season however feels best. Be with people or watch a moonrise alone. Do something different this year. Make a new tradition that is more about savoring and being present. Take an offering to the ocean to wash away and release the year and make way for a new one. Bury your wishes for the new year near a tree so they will grow and be fed. Nature has beautiful metaphors for ritual and ceremony. Engage in those. 

Be well. Slow down. Take your time. This is not a race but a season to be enjoyed.