A Time of Giving and Forgiving

Before everyone gets caught up with the holiday rush, the stream of parties, and the endless eating that always comes with this season, it’s always good to take a pause and consider what else the holidays have to offer. Too many times, we’re focused on completing our Christmas shopping or ticking things off our to-do lists that we don’t realize that the act of giving can go past the mundane and material, but move with more depth and substance.

Giving something of ourselves to those we love may come naturally to many. Another challenge that comes with this season is the ability to not just give, but forgive—both those we love, and those we’ve come to fall out with. The act of giving and forgiving doesn’t just connect us to others, but essentially allows us to better our relationships with ourselves too. After all, there is no better gift to give yourself than more love, forgiveness, compassion and care—regardless of the season.

Here are some tips to prepare your heart for the holidays!

Tips for Giving:

1. Honor the other person by devoting your full attention to them. Forget your phone for an hour or two while you’re out having Christmas lunch with your best friend. Turn off the Internet when reading your kids a bedtime story. We’re so busy trying to multi-task we are hardly ever present for ourselves or for others. Create opportunities to bring focus to the ones you love this season.


2. Think different. A little creativity goes a long way—whether it’s for a gift you’d like to DIY for your parents, or for a new way to spend New Year’s Eve with the family. Exerting a little effort can help you work around tight budgets and infuse a little more of your own personality into what you offer others.


3. Open yourself up. Christmas is all about traditions, but there is always space to tweak your practice. If your husband’s family wants to go out of town for the break but you’ve always been a stickler for staying at home, be willing to compromise and try new things out. Allowing change to happen is a gift in and of itself.


4. Put yourself in others’ shoes. Exercising compassion is key in softening your heart and expanding your spirit during the holidays. Forgiveness may come more easily when you realize that just like you, that person who’s been a challenge to deal with, just wants to be happy.


5. Acknowledge the past and put it behind you. Again, this comes to being aware of the present moment. Forgiveness becomes difficult when we become too attached to what happened in the past. Realize that what happened has happened, and while you’re living the consequences of your past today, you can choose what you take with you as heavy baggage or what you consider today as a lesson to live by.


6. Ponder this thought. A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place, and when we expect nothing in return. —The Bhagavad Gita

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit mckinley.theblueleaf.com.ph for more information