Christmas has officially ended, and we've just rung in the New Year. Danny and I love this time of year. We're the type who turn on our Christmas lights December 1, and bring our tree in the first weekend in December as well. We decorate the house, inside and out, and play Christmas music the whole month. We absolutely love Christmas!
But there is one thing that always bothers me about Christmas time... Christmas is supposed to be a time of year that reminds us of how lucky we are to have what we do, to reflect on the importance of family, to remember how much we love each other, and to treat each other with love and respect. It's a time when you can count on complete strangers to smile at you, to hold open a door, or to go out of their way to help someone they don't even know. And yet each and every year, I am reminded that some people seem to care more about the presents, about keeping score, about making others feel guilty... so many seem to forget the true meaning of Christmas!
There is no worse feeling than to be so full of Christmas spirit, grinning ear to ear, and have someone make a comment, more than likely without even thinking, about something they perceive as a "slight." It just completely deflates you... takes the joy right out of you, and makes you wonder "why bother." It is just so frustrating! It can be family members, friends, acquaintances, or complete strangers. But there are always those people who just don't seem to think before they speak. It happens all year, and yet for some reason, it especially bothers me this time of year.
So I have decided to make a New Years' resolution... these people will not bother me any longer. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they just don't realize how the things they say make people feel. I will hope that, deep down, they are appreciative of the things that are done for them and just don't know how to express their gratitude. I will try my best to remember that people's reactions shouldn't be the reason we do things in the first place. We should do what is good and right, regardless of what we get in return! I think a part of all of us wants recognition for good deeds done, but it really and truly shouldn't have any affect on our decision to do those good things, and I resolve to remember this!
I also know that I have been on the other end of a thoughtless comment. We've all said something and then realized that it wasn't the thing we should have said, and I really want to work on making sure that, first and foremost, people realize that we are grateful for them! We have an amazing circle of family and friends, and they should always feel appreciated and loved. Life is too short to spend it making other people feel guilty and bad about themselves. Life is too short to waste time being hurt or insulted by those who may not even mean to make us feel bad. And life is certainly too short to hold grudges or be bitter about things that have happened in the past! I can't control what other people say or do, but I can control how I react, and how personally I take it! And that is my resolution for the New Year... wish me luck! :)
"Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask yourself if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future" - Deepak Chopra
There is no worse feeling than to be so full of Christmas spirit, grinning ear to ear, and have someone make a comment, more than likely without even thinking, about something they perceive as a "slight." It just completely deflates you... takes the joy right out of you, and makes you wonder "why bother." It is just so frustrating! It can be family members, friends, acquaintances, or complete strangers. But there are always those people who just don't seem to think before they speak. It happens all year, and yet for some reason, it especially bothers me this time of year.
So I have decided to make a New Years' resolution... these people will not bother me any longer. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they just don't realize how the things they say make people feel. I will hope that, deep down, they are appreciative of the things that are done for them and just don't know how to express their gratitude. I will try my best to remember that people's reactions shouldn't be the reason we do things in the first place. We should do what is good and right, regardless of what we get in return! I think a part of all of us wants recognition for good deeds done, but it really and truly shouldn't have any affect on our decision to do those good things, and I resolve to remember this!
I also know that I have been on the other end of a thoughtless comment. We've all said something and then realized that it wasn't the thing we should have said, and I really want to work on making sure that, first and foremost, people realize that we are grateful for them! We have an amazing circle of family and friends, and they should always feel appreciated and loved. Life is too short to spend it making other people feel guilty and bad about themselves. Life is too short to waste time being hurt or insulted by those who may not even mean to make us feel bad. And life is certainly too short to hold grudges or be bitter about things that have happened in the past! I can't control what other people say or do, but I can control how I react, and how personally I take it! And that is my resolution for the New Year... wish me luck! :)
"Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask yourself if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future" - Deepak Chopra
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