'Twas the night before Christmas… and an opportunity for me to share some thoughts, and send some love and gratitude.
Allow me to get a little personal—this is Dan unfiltered.
For many, Christmas represents a time of pure joy, fond memories, and happiness. For some, it represents a time of sadness, painful memories and loneliness. It depends on your life stage too, of course.
Younger Dan reflects on Christmas as the lucky boy with a loving family, opening presents and being showered with love. Older Dan thinks of Christmas Day as the last time he remembers his dad healthy before he spent 6 months in hospital. Similarly, my wife’s dad died on Christmas Day. Yet we are together this year with our two-year-old daughter and our mums. Full of gratitude, so I say none of this to be morbid—simply to reflect that Christmas can seem rosey but for many it’s… complicated.
Every moment creates an opportunity. After my dad died 10 years ago, I decided to volunteer on Christmas Day at homeless shelters, which I continued right up until my daughter was born. Now I’ll spend her younger years creating magical memories for her, and when she’s a bit older will teach her about volunteering too. Hopefully something we can do together, teaching her what a privilege it is to enjoy what we do have, and how to truly appreciate our luck.
So, on that note, Christmas is always a time I focus on gratitude. So many people in my life make it a little bit better, and I love the act of writing and sending cards to say thank you. Every year my list gets longer—a sign of just how lucky I am—but the nicest surprise you can give to someone is to remind them you are thinking of them, you are grateful for them, and you care.
If you’re reading this, and it speaks to you, remember either today or tomorrow to drop them a message. It never ceases to amaze me how touched people are to find out you are thinking of them.
Beyond that, the science of compassion and the art of thinking of others both do wonders for your mental health. Both are proven to make you happier, and isn’t that ultimately how we all want to feel on Christmas Day?
So this Christmas/holiday season, I’ll leave you with this final list of questions:
1️⃣ Who do you need to thank that you may have forgotten to this year?
2️⃣ What are you grateful for this year?
3️⃣ Is there anyone who might be feeling lonely in your network, that would really benefit from knowing you are thinking about them, and appreciate hearing from you?
With love, presents, and presence, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays
Dan
