December is a time of year filled with holidays providing us individually and collectively, with the opportunity to open our hearts and minds to the miraculous gift of life and love. Chanukah, beginning on December 5th and lasting for eight days, celebrates the miracle that took place when the Holy Temple of Jerusalem was rededicated. Even though there was only enough oil for the eternal light to burn for one night, the light lasted for 8 days, thus this Festival of Light is a reminder of the miraculous nature of life. Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, whose message to Love Thy Neighbor continues to provide us with a clear and concise instruction to ensure a lasting peace for all. Kwanzaa the unique African American celebration focuses on the traditional African values of family, community, responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement. Kwanzaa is based on the Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), one for each day of the observance, from December 26th to January 1st.
While it’s easy to automatically be consumed by the gift-giving and the hectic and stressful nature of family gatherings or loneliness when we are separated from our family and friends; I encourage you to allow the essence of this holiday season to take root in your lives. Consider re-dedicating yourself to be for-giving love, compassion and kindness during this holiday season and beyond. The challenge is for each of us to truly be the change we wish to see in the world each and every day.
While we can agree that being loving is the most direct path to peace and happiness, the reality is that most of us have had much more practice with misery, anger, frustration, resentment, suffering and unhappiness and are therefore masterful in our addiction to these feelings. I certainly have mastered points of view about myself and others that have nourished and nurtured those feelings. Thankfully I decided many years ago that it is no longer necessary for me to keep practicing this skill! I made a commitment to strengthening my love muscle and expand my capacity to give and receive love. And following the words of my teacher, don Miguel Ruiz, I chose to be the world’s greatest lover.
So this holiday season I invite you to join me, let your love flow and let’s see how many of us can wear the title of World’s Greatest Lover. And if there are any of you out there are who feeling that this invitation doesn’t apply to you because you are not in a romantic relationship at the moment, or you are in a relationship and the romance needs to be ignited, keep in mind that romance is simply one of millions of ways to give and receive love. So here is a list of exercises I have used to strengthen my love muscle, try them, add your own and enjoy the journey:
1- Express your gratitude to yourself, your family, your friends, your co-workers, the people who serve you at the gas station, the supermarket, etc. Make a list of what you appreciate about yourself (I am appreciating my creativity as I make gifts this holiday season.) Write a note letting people know specifically what you appreciate about them. Let people know what you have learned from their presence in your life.
2- Make a list of the judgments you make about yourself and others. Use this list to become aware of the ways in which you make yourself small or less than and elevate others or ways in which you belittle others in order to feel better about yourself. With your expanded awareness you can simply say, “Ooooops,” when you notice you are making judgments and then say, “Namasté,” as your way of acknowledging the Divine Presence that moves through you and all beings.
3- Practice random acts of kindness. Pay the toll for the person behind you at the tollbooth. Open the phonebook and randomly point to someone and send them a dollar, five dollars or more. Place chocolate kisses on the desk of each of your co-workers.
4- where a small donation can make an enormous difference.
5- Accept compliments and acknowledge yourself. While we so very often hunger for recognition we also shy way from truly receiving love in the form of compliments and acknowledgment. When someone says, “Thanks, for helping out,” rather than responding by saying, “Oh, it was nothing,” receive their expression of appreciation, with an open heart. And take the time each day to acknowledge your accomplishments, the small – brushing your teeth and the large – going out of your way to reach out to someone in need.
Please write to us, at info@withforgiveness.com and let us know how you are exercising your love muscle and what your experience is being the world’s greatest lover.
With loving wishes for a joyous holiday season,
Susyn
You are welcome to reprint this article with the following information at the conclusion of the text:
Susyn Reeve M.Ed. and Sheri Rosenthal DPM are co-authors of WITH Forgiveness - Are You Ready? and co-creators of the WITH Forgiveness program at www.withforgivenessmovie.com. They both enjoy giving workshops, lectures and taking folks on spiritual journeys (you can see them at www.journeysofthespirit.com ), and being extremely happy! You can reach them at www.withforgiveness.com.
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