That Time of Year. When we can get caught up in the spirit of giving and celebrating our love for one another.

The day after Thanksgiving, I braved the crowds Friday morning at 6am when the stores opened, as I had a particular gift in mind for my daughter who is presently going to school in Omaha. I suppose many of you know what I mean when I could hardly believe how many people showed up at this one store, waiting in line for the doors to open.

People rushed into the store in a “fast walk”; a kind of urgency spurred by the vague fear that those special sale incentive items would soon be gone from the first-come, first-serve category.

I knew what I wanted, so proceeded directly to the department. While making my way there through the throngs, I noticed people wheeling shopping carts with TV’s, bicycles, toys and more. Stuffed to overflowing, people were carrying lists, checking them twice, to make sure they would buy what they came for.

At first I felt that urgency was “I’ll get mine or it will be gone”, and to be sure this was partly true. But the next feeling I felt was that these people really were in the spirit of giving. My intuitive impressions were that many of these people had saved all year to give their kids and loved ones gifts they really wanted, and some were stretching the limits of their plastic cards to make sure their loved ones had a great holiday. How noble is that to so strongly desire the happiness of others? To see joy in their hearts?

Were these people caught up in consumerism and hype of the holidays? Perhaps a little bit so. But I like to believe that most of us have good, open hearts; that we intend the best for each other and that we really enjoy expressing our love through gifts and acts of kindness.

You know, when Sogyal Rinpoche talks about meditation in his book The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying he said, the sun has rays and the ocean has waves. And we have emotions and thoughts no matter how much we meditate. Because those thoughts and emotions are there does not ruin the meditation; it is our ability to quiet our mind so the thoughts would have no effect, other than slight ripples upon the pool of our deep consciousness. As we gently disperse the thoughts, the clear sky of our true nature can be seen.

Sure, there is a commercial push to all the holidays, and yes you can see Christmas displays in Costco in August, and yes many of us overspend and get caught up in the materialism rather than the spiritual roots of our true nature.

As you are buying gifts and cards making lists of things to do - - - -

Stop.

Breathe.

Take a moment to remember why you are giving the gifts and why you are expressing acts of love. It is not the birth of Jesus you are celebrating; it is the sublime act of faith that by so freely giving of yourself you are open to abundance that is not just material – but spiritual. To fill your cup you must empty it. Those who celebrate the life of Jesus recognize that he taught about faith; trusting with your heart what your mind cannot yet comprehend.

That does not mean empty your bank account to empty your cup, it means if you are going to give, give freely and openly from your heart, and your spiritual nature will fill the part of you that is vulnerable to receive the acknowledgment of your true nature in oneness; not separate from what you seek.

It means to let go of your illusions and see the clear sky. Do not give a gift because you have to or feel obligated to do so: do so because you desire to. Remember, you are a being of love, you emanate love, you are love itself.

The winter solstice is upon us, the time of reflection and acknowledgement that the inner force which grew so abundantly during the year is now getting ready to renew and regenerate. What better way than to let people see the real, loving you?

You know, some people make gifts, some give to charities on behalf of others; some have a tree planted in a forest for their beloved. There are all manner of way of expressing your love for others, for them to see the true you and your open heart.

It’s that time of year, and I’m giving you a holiday assignment. Each day, I want you to find someone you love, or know, or perhaps a stranger, and tell them one thing you really like about them. Think about how you would feel if someone were to tell you something they really admire about you.

Allow yourself the freedom to express your feelings and to communicate them to others. And when some offers you a gift of love, accept it gracefully as a token of your worthiness to receive love and recognition. You are a magnificent and glorious being of light, and nothing less.

Given in love,
Richard Jelusich, Ph.D.

Dr. J's Books

Eye of the Lotus by Dr. Jelusich

Eye of the Lotus: Psychology of the Chakras published in 2004, discusses dominant chakras and how they affect our perceptions of reality.

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I Can Relate

I Can Relate: How we intuitively choose the people in our lives is about how and why we take intuitive relationships to each other, along with 27 case histories.

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That Time of the Year

Lightnews - Inspirational Writings from Dr. Jelusich

Dr. J's Books

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