Thursday, December 22, 2016

This Holiday, Give Yourself the Gift of Gratitude



One of the movies I love to watch at this time of year is The Holiday, with Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Jude Law. It tells the story of Amanda, a workaholic movie trailer producer in California, and Iris, a newspaper editor in the U.K., who exchange homes on a whim in hopes of mending their broken hearts. The swap puts each of them in an environment quite unlike their own.  Amanda (Diaz) flees her huge, hi-tech Tuscan style L.A. home for Iris’s cozy, quaint, stone cottage in the English countryside. And Iris (Winslet) leaves behind the tranquility of her country garden for the fast pace and palm trees of La La Land.  

Through a series of events and interactions (that’s where Black and Law come in) Amanda and Iris are each given the opportunity to step back from their day-to-day selves to find and honor the “hidden gems” within their respective personalities. In Amanda’s case, she’s finally able to release the emotions she’d been suppressing for so long. Her softer side emerges. For Iris, she’s finally able to let go of a co-dependent relationship. Her stronger side emerges. 

We all have hidden gems that too often stay suppressed because of the hectic pace and responsibilities of our day-to-day lives. The holidays are a great opportunity to give yourself the gift of time to reflect on the value you bring to your work, to your family, to your community, to the world. 

I encourage you to take some time during this holiday season to write yourself a letter of gratitude. Honor yourself for your accomplishments and for your uniqueness. Think back over the year and those moments when someone has expressed gratitude or admiration for something you’ve done or said – what was the quality within you that prompted their reaction? When we acknowledge those qualities we are able to help them grow even more. End the year with gratitude. Be grateful for YOU, just who you are. Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have. 

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” C.G. Jung

In this holiday season, I’m so grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for sharing your wisdom through your comments and the work that you do. 

Happy Holidays,
Rebecca