December

It's December 1! We now seriously enter the season of holidays and presents. In my area of North America the stores are already stocked with potential gifts, are decorated outlandishly, and play traditional Christian Christmas songs ad nauseum.


 During the season, here are a few of the celebrations that occur:

• Hanukkah (Jewish)
• Mawlid al-Nabi
• Christmas Day (Christian)
• Kwanzaa (African American)
• Omisoka (Japanese)
• Yule (Pagan)

What I'd love to hear this year is "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukkah" or "Joyous Mawlid" or simply, "Be happy." You can say, "May love surround you" or "Let hope fill your heart." Just "Happy Holidays" will suffice.  Anything that evokes peace, friendship, humanity, hope and good will. Say it wrapped in whatever expression you like.

Words are energy and energy can create, move, and change things. We can literally breathe hope and charity to one another by speaking in a positive way. We can model respect and caring. We could generate a force of positive energy that, carried by sound, could fill the whole world.

You might not believe it's that easy. That's okay. Try it anyway. Even if the energy doesn't go very far, at least it will surround you and your loved ones. Maybe your smile and sentiment will help someone who is lonely and stressed. Perhaps give strength to a neighbor. Maybe help that person think life is worth living after all. 

Help yourself out by reading a lot of positive news. There are literally millions of great deeds being carried out all around the world. Despite all the problems, there are solutions being discovered. Love, kindness, generosity and courage exist everywhere. Go find it!   

May love surround you every day all year long.