Rediscovering Joy: The Magic of the Season Awaits

2024 has been an interesting Year. I have learned a great deal and believe I am finally growing up. I know last month I wrote about Fantasy versus the Truth and began it the same way as I have here. About the Year of 2024. And I know that we are all experiencing some challenges. The political scene has become overwhelming. The increase of negative energy and how people are communicating has become crushing. The financial environment is paralyzing. We are in a state of stress and shattering ideals. So, where is the Magic?

What do we do? We Rediscover the JOY in the Magic of the Season! 

And in this season there IS Joy to be rediscovered. 

How do we do that? How do we rediscover the Joy when there are so many not-so-joyous things going on in our lives? I believe that first we have to take a good look at the Fantasies we have created from our past experiences: our needs, expectations and beliefs that we established from our past experiences and the stories we have told ourselves about the past. Tom Campbell and I did an excellent show on Distinguishing the Fantasy from Reality in Love. 

So, what are the experiences from your past telling you about these Holidays that are upon us. Even in this world of what seems to be craziness sometimes? Are these past experiences full of disappointment and pain? Or are you a person who feels the Magic of the Holiday Season? Or maybe you just like distracting yourself with BEing Busy? Only you can take a look at your reactions or responses.

The Holiday Season is a challenging time especially financially. Why did we entertain the idea that the Best Gift will make everyone happy? Come January, our bills definitely won’t make us happy! What part of our Inner Child is trying to make up for the disappointment of not getting what we wanted for Christmas when we were children?

Can you see how your past can impact your present experience? Does it resonate with you or is there something else from your past that is influencing your Joy? The Fantasies that we create to help us navigate this very fragile experience can have undesirable consequences. We can get caught up in our own personal story that is difficult to even see at times.

The story could have come from the media’s depiction of what a Perfect Christmas Holiday should look like. If you are like me, you have watched every Christmas movie out there. From Hallmark to Disney and everything in between. The perfect Meet Cute of Hallmark Christmas movies – to the hilarious Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase or The Santa Clause with Tim Allen. Or maybe your story comes from a Miracle on 34th Street, both versions. Or is it A Christmas Story? All are great movies but do they ignite the Magic or do they distract you from your sadness and disappointment? 

If you determine that it is a distraction, then we have some work to do. Why have your past experiences created pain and sadness? What is your first memory of the pain? What does it tell you about how you have predetermined your Christmas experiences? 

Some of us get caught up in the Fantasy of Christmas. Fantasy is all of our expectations as well as an image that probably will never be met. This fantasy is probably filled with the ideal gifts being given and received. We see everyone working together and have a perfect Christmas Dinner. It will include all of our loved ones getting together in one place and interacting together like at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life. But more often it feels like The Family Stone!

Yes, the Holidays can be Magical or stressful. It is partially about your perspective. The question is: do you want to Remember the Magic that surrounds us during the Holiday season? Or would you rather let the past dictate to you a fantasy that your Ego wants – a fantasy that isn’t based on reality?

Now Moment

How do we counter Fantasy from the Past? We stay focused in the NOW! The fantasy we continue to HOPE for is based on past experiences and our desire to have what we believe will be ‘better’. Regardless, it is holding us in a pattern from the past. The only way to move beyond this, is staying centered and being focused on what is happening Right NOW.

Even the fears of what we might believe is the incoming financial burden is focusing us on the Future. The Future holds anxiety as it is an unknown. The past holds our memories and dreams. But the NOW is right where we are!

It is wonderful to review memories and cherish our fond memories. However, no matter what happened or what the Story is that we hold about the Past, it is still the Past. Nothing can change the past. It won’t matter how much we  want to change it, or EnJOY it:, it can’t change. The future is unknown. The only time we can make any changes or grow up is in the NOW moment.

All of the distractions we have created are to pass the time. And this includes any Stories we have made up from our past and that we share about our lives … and the challenges we have encountered. Nothing changes until we Embrace the Now. Will Embracing the Now make a difference to the Story or to our desire to distract ourselves? Not exactly. But when we Embrace the Now it brings us into the present and it is in this moment where things can change in a positive way.

The Now Moment allows us to BE Present. To Breathe. To laugh. We have the opportunity to Become aware of how we are feeling. To ask ourselves the question about whether what we are feeling is ours or someone else’s. When we are stuck in the past or worrying about the future, other people’s energy can sneak into ours without us even being aware of it.

Our energy field can become very large, which in kind, allows other people to influence our energy without our consent.  For example, when you are in an office setting, your energy could encompass the radius of the entire office. Or it might just be a specific area around your desk. People who come into your energy field with their anger, sadness, pain and fears can influence you if you are not aware they are there.

When you are Present, you can take a breath when you feel negative emotions. You can ask your body, heart, or energy field if this emotion you are feeling is yours. One would be surprised how often this emotion you feel isn’t yours – once you ask the question. You would be surprised that when you are surrounded by people in a bus or subway; how negative energy seeps in without your noticing. Your anxiety heightens and your stress levels increase when you have done absolutely nothing that would create such anxiety.

This means it is time to take note of your emotions. In the Now Moment, we have the space to examine our feelings and determine if they are ours or from an outside energy. An example is when you are driving and all of a sudden you are feeling anxious. In the Now Moment you are free to contemplate why you are feeling anxious.

If you are stuck in the past or worrying about the future, you may be distracted while driving and then you may not even notice your anger or anxiety starting to build. The reality is that you probably were in someone’s energy field that was experiencing Road Rage. If you are conscious you can laugh it off. If you are distracted you will assume the anger and quite possibly react – while not even understanding why. But there are small simple steps that allow you to be back in charge of how you want to respond. How? 

The first thing Is to Be aware and conscious of your feelings – in the Now Moment. Then you have the opportunity to explore your reactions. Finally, you can choose how you would respond in the Now Moment to the feelings that you have explored. You can choose to BE a part of the Magic of the Now Moment instead of influenced by the Fantasy – that may have come from a story in your past or influenced by someone who has entered into your energy field.

Magic of the Season

Let’s explore this concept: The Magic of the Season. Last year Tom Campbell and I shared a wonderful podcast (and video podcast) on Christmas Spirit. It was the first time Tom actually confirmed that there was indeed a Magical Energy when you connect into it. I, myself have always felt it. And it may be hard to distinguish the difference between the Magic and the Fantasy. The true Magic appears to have developed through the years of holding the Energy of Santa Claus. 

Santa Claus: A Magical Being who travels around the world in one evening to deliver gifts to all the children. Of course that would be Christian children, and/or those who celebrate Christmas. However, it is far more than the Magical Entity, Santa Claus.

Santa represents Energy and has been forever immortalized in the beautiful letter, written to 8 year old Virginia O’Hanlon in 1897 by the New York newspaper, The Sun. It was the question that was answered; Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus. It was this energy I connected into for a speech I wrote in 12th year Literature that changed my way of seeing the world. Because I could feel the Magic!

I have held this Magical Energy every year. I have connected into it even when it isn’t the Holiday Season. This Energy is a Beautiful message to us that we don’t need to see things to Believe in them. However, we do need to be aware that these things are there for us all (irregardless of our religion). We all can connect into this incredibly beautiful Magical Energy.

So, how will you connect? 

This is a powerful question to ask yourself. We have already established that we can only experience this energy in the Now Moment. I believe when we are in the past we are connecting into the Fantasy or projecting the Fantasy into the Future.

So we Breathe. We connect into our emotional state. Our mental state is just as important. The first thing we want is to figure out how we are feeling. If we are feeling anything other than balanced and open, then we have some work to do. And it can only happen while we are Conscious of our emotional, mental, physical and spiritual state.

Once we are aware, then we can proceed. Asking if what we are feeling is ours is important. If it is ours, then what triggered it? If it isn’t ours, then where did it come from? Energy that isn’t ours will leave our energy field immediately. Except in those cases where we are BEing empathetic. An example of this is when it is someone we love, family or friend that is the one who is upset.

Often we want to help those we love! And disentangling our energy from someone we want to help is much more difficult. The only thing I want to say here is: BE careful. When we try to help, fix or manipulate someone we can take on their karma. This doesn’t help them and it doesn’t help us either.

The best thing we can do in this situation is to Hold Space for them: to be fully present for them. To not judge them. And listen to them so they can share their experiences and perspectives – and give them our full attention. And we can offer guidance – if asked. But DON’T change what they are going through. Because it is perfect for them! They need to go through their own issues to Grow Up.

Once you have established what feeling is yours and what is anothers then you can focus on Rediscovering JOY and the Magic of the Season.

Rediscovering JOY and the Magic of the Season

This is the FUN part. Once our energy is solely our own, we can then choose! My choice is to BE JOYful and BE a part of the Magical Energy. To me the Magic is this Wonderful, Open, Loving Energy that permeates the Season. It is like my tea (Santa’s Secret from David’s Tea)… when I drink it: I feel it’s like a cup of Magic. I allow all my senses to explore the smells and the gentle flavor of mint and vanilla in a black tea. 

Christmas is just like that. It is a choice to Embrace all of our senses. The smell of pine needles or a wreath of cedar. The taste of chocolate, especially the ones that rarely come out unless it is Christmas. Or for some it is a Christmas cake with marzipan. Perhaps it is skating, skiing or tobogganing (as long as there is snow). Or enjoying a sandy beach on the coast of Thailand – wherever you are when you recognize the Magic of the Season! 

What other senses come with Christmas? Mentally we can Appreciate and BE Grateful for all the ways we EnJOY our life, environment, friends and loved ones. Emotionally we can find more ways to Laugh and LOVE. 

We can create a sacred meditation that includes candles, incense, poinsettia flowers, and water in a crystal bowl. We can list everything we are Grateful for and Hold the Space for Sending LOVE to your loved ones and the Planet. My meditation included all the elements: fire (candle), air (incense), earth (flower) and water. The meditation is the Spirit element. You can create your own ritual that speaks to your individuality.

Let’s Create something Magical together. BE JOYful during these stressful times. BE LOVE. Experience true Magic this Holiday Season. From MY Heart to YOURS. ❤️