Meaning of Christmas

Let’s reflect upon the true Meaning of Christmas and reconnect with its essence.

The Meaning of Christmas can easily be lost when we become caught up in the hustle and bustle of activity, we can actually lose sight of the purpose of this most festive season. As we approach the holidays it is a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect upon the true Meaning of Christmas, and to reconnect with its essence.  The celebration of life and love within ourselves and with each other.

Self-Reflection

A great question to ask, “Have I forgotten the true Meaning of Christmas?” Right now many of us are immersed within what is often referred to as the “festive season”, yet our approach to this Holiday may not be very festive at all. We so easily become consumed in buying gifts, we have to buy the perfect gifts for this one and that one, and we have to prepare the perfect food for Christmas dinner, and we have to have the perfect Christmas decorations in our house, and everything has got to be just right! But let’s ask ourselves why? Has the meaning of Christmas been forgotten, or lost? What is the true Meaning of Christmas for you?

What a generous gift it would be if each of us were to reconsider the Meaning of Christmas. To remember that it is a time of celebration, a time for us to think about others and share love and joy and friendship. Christmas is very much about togetherness, expressing gratitude for all that we are, all that we have and all that we are a part of. It is a time for us to be generous with our love and our compassion. You may like to pause and think for a moment right now about who, in your life, are you in conflict with? Is there a relationship in your life that is troubled? And then think about what you can do to make peace within yourself, and perhaps with the other.

The Gift of Your True Self

What is the true meaning of Christmas for you?

Giving the gift of love and compassion must always starts with ourselves. To look into ourselves and recognise the divine being that we are and give ourselves the greatest gift we can receive this Christmas, the gift of love and self-acceptance. And then from that place, turn to our outer world and look at the greatest gift we can give to another. That of course is our love and our compassion. A gift from the heart that expresses who you are to who they truly are. To do this we have to come home to that basic ground of our divinity.

To come to this place of giving our love and compassion to ourselves and each other requires some self-reflection and the transformation of our negative thoughts and beliefs. The clearing of those obstacles that are causing us to be separative, judgmental, critical, jealous, etc – all of those negative qualities that often rise up at this time of year.

Using the Ho’oponopono Mantra

A powerful tool for transformation is the use of the Ho’oponopono mantra, sounding the words within ourselves, “I’m sorry, Please forgive me, I love you, Thank you”. Learn more about Ho’oponopono.

So as you are preparing now for the holidays, if you are one who is buying gifts and one who is preparing food and all of these things, every time you start to feel overwhelmed, stop and say the words of the Ho’oponopono mantra, “I’m sorry, please forgive me, I love you, thank you”.

For example, saying the words deep within the heart, “I’m sorry that I forgot for a moment, and got caught up in the hub bub and all of the craziness of this time”. “I forgot the true meaning of Christmas. I’m sorry, please forgive me.” Forgiving ourselves for our lapse and choosing now to come back to that which is truth for us. Then we say, “I love you”. As you say the words, feel them resonate in every cell of your being. Let “I love you” connect you with the true meaning of this time of year.

Give a perfect stranger a smile - that’s a gift that has true meaning.

What do we think that this season is all about? It is not intended to be a commercial exercise in spending hundreds or thousands of dollars, its actually about experiencing the love and joy of life itself. And for this we say, “thank you”. Remembering why we are here on planet earth. To partake of the joy of being here with others so that as we go out and move amongst the crowds of people, we do so as a beacon of light. And as that beacon, we radiate light into our world and others are touched by it. Give them a smile, give a perfect stranger a smile. That’s a gift that has true meaning. A gift from the heart. We can all do this. We can create change in our world as we walk through the crowds by just being a messenger of love and light. We don’t have to say a word. Just be this radiance and others will feel it and be impacted by it. We are helping to ease the suffering of others.

The Source of Joy and Generosity

Allow generosity to flourish as you share your love and your joy with others with a knowing that the source of this love and joy is infinite and can never be exhausted. No one can ever deplete you of that. We can have a belief that we have nothing left to give, particularly at this time of year when we feel ourselves becoming so tired, so drained, but all it means is that we have forgotten all that we are. And as we step back into the light of who we are, back to that ground of our divinity, we realise that we have an infinite source of love and joy to share with others.

So, a time for reflection upon our relationships within our world, a re-evaluation of what is really important.  To remember the JOY of life incarnate here on planet earth.  To be that spark of light that may ignite the passion and the joy in another.  To re-align with the Divine Purpose of this festive time that we call Christmas.

There is such a tremendous opportunity for each of us now to transform all of our thoughts and feelings and beliefs about this time of year.  To look at all the habitual activities that we may have engaged in for many years and set ourselves free to bring a greater level of love, peace and joy to not only ourselves, but to all of those in our environment.

Consider for a moment some of the many symbols of Christmas.

Gift Giving

What is the purpose in the giving of gifts?  What does the gift symbolise?  What if we were to embrace the concept that the gift symbolises the recognition of Love within both the giver and the receiver?  To give a gift not from the perspective of the ego, but from the true nature of our being.  A gift that is a reflection of the inherent goodness within another.

Christmas Dinner

The Christmas dinner, a time when the extended family often gathers – what is intended to be a celebration of the ceremony of life, an expression of love and gratitude for all that we are and all that we are a part of.  What has happened to this traditional ceremony?  For many, the true meaning has become lost as the conflicts within various relationships have been left unresolved, year after year after year.  What a powerful time for us to transform these relationships, to set ourselves and each other free to embrace the true Meaning of Christmas.

There are a number of recorded classes and meditations on the Inward Bound Network website that are dedicated to these topics that you may find beneficial.  We invite you to partake in all of these offerings with love and joy and gratitude. Here are a few you may find helpful:

Self Love with Ho’oponopono - This meditation focusses upon cleaning those negative beliefs that stand in the way of us experiencing spiritual love – that which we call “self love”.

Healing Relationships with Ho’oponopono - cleanse and purify the toxicity that can arise through relationships, creating an opportunity for us to set ourselves free to live a life with greater freedom and joy. (Includes link to a deep and meaningful talk.)

Anxiety Relief Meditation - Relieve anxiety with this gentle, guided meditation.

5 Minute Meditation for Anxiety - Relieve anxiety and stress with this 5-minutes meditation utilizing the powerful Ho’oponopono mantra

Let the ceremony into which you enter, and into which you have entered year after year unconsciously, let that ceremony become a conscious, active service. May all of your activities carry the real Meaning of Christmas.