The holiday season is somewhat of a bitter-sweet time of year for me. For me, this time of year represents a time of camaraderie, sharing, joy, laughter, love and family. I don’t really participate in the anxiety filled ‘corporate driven’ side of the holidays because I really don’t believe that the ‘holiday spirit’ is about purchasing needless items that only bring you temporary joy and happiness. The holiday season should be about teaching those who are fortunate to help those who are not as fortunate. Instead of buying endless toys, trinkets, electronics and so many other items that will end up in landfills and polluting our earth, why not feed the homeless, provide clothing to women’s shelters, saving a pet from a shelter, donating to organizations that protect our planet, food, water and forests? Isn’t that what the holiday spirit is all about?
More and more – this time of year becomes about all the wrong things, buying, buying, buying and more buying. Companies step up their marketing game to endlessly promote their products with no regard to earth’s natural resources – Imagine the deforestation that takes place to ensure flyers are distributed to all those potential consumers? Consumers go into overdrive (and debt) to ensure they purchase the latest fashions, electronics, toys and all the other things that make them feel loved, needed, wanted and important but never think about the working conditions of the individuals that made those products or the impact to the environment these products will have in the future.
I don’t know when I have denounced my attachment to materialistic goods at this time of year – but I do know that I am much happier that I don’t support corporate greed and the unneccessary destruction of our planet. Don’t get me wrong, I am not perfect and I am certainly not saying that I am better than everyone else because of my beliefs of the holiday season. One year – I handed out Christmas cards to various strangers on the street…I wrote a positive inscription in the card, basically wishing health and happiness to whomever took the card…..for me, the joy of brightening someone else’s day gave me much more gratification than buying a present for a family member. I love my materialistic detachment to this time of year and find myself committing more and more to giving joy to strangers or donating to those who fight for the future of our planet, animals and humanity.
I hope that whomever reads this finds compassion in their hearts and gives back to those who are less fortunate, or saves an animal from certain death, be it by reducing their meat intake or visiting a local shelter or by donating money to organizations that really make a difference in the world by fighting for humanity’s survival.
I wish you all much love, health and happiness and hope that this year brings you much positive energy.
Together, we can make the world a more positive one!
COALITION OF POSITIVE ENERGY 