Gifts make the Season bright

Gifts make the Season bright

You’ve heard it said and sung, “Everybody knows…a turkey and some mistletoe, help to make the season bright.”

Let’s be honest…gifts are cool too.  Don’t they light up the holiday season?    

Whether we give them, or when we see the face of a friend or loved one light up when they unwrap the package we bought them…that’s usually enough to brighten up the room, the day, and definitely brightens up the season.

Some of us have heavy hearts at times like the holidays, reminiscing about the “good old days”.  Others of us become so stressed with the ‘goings on’ of the holidays that we don’t really take time to enjoy the precious moments that are passing us by, as we speak.  The pressures of high expectations and our nerves sure seem to get to us this time of year.

Then…we open our gifts.  Then…they open their gifts.  We see the smiles.  We hear the laughs.  We can almost feel the pressure, the nerves, and the tension of “holiday expectations” vaporize into thin air.  All of a sudden, the people we love the most and those for whom we’ve shopped, thought about, prayed about, and ultimately gifted our gifts…are happy.  

They love the gifts we gave them.

The holidays are certainly a wonderful season to celebrate.  The reality is that we all experience many “seasons of life”.  Some are the “seasons” that coincide with the Hallmark Calendar…however other “seasons” we experience are sometimes personal to us. In fact, most seasons consist of heavy hearts, pressure, tension, and high expectations. 

Some of us are in a “season” of celebration while others are in a “season” of sadness.  Some are really crushing it professionally and financially while others are still navigating a tough “season” financially as well as on the job front.

The OneMoreStep opportunity lies in that no matter what the season the people around us find themselves in, gifts always make their season bright.

Sometimes the gifts we give don’t have to come in a shiny, well wrapped package.  A shoulder to cry on, a helping hand in a cumbersome situation, listening when nobody else seems to care, or some encouraging words at just the right moment in time can also be just the GIFT someone needs, to brighten up their day.

We never know what they’re feeling, and who knows just what “season” of their life may be upon them…one thing is for sure, however, regardless of faith, religion, age, gender, or rank in the organization – Gifts make the Season bright.

Brighten someone’s season with your gift, however and whatever that may be, to whomever it means the most.  

Giving gifts is fun.  Being the gift for someone is a OneMoreStep worth taking. 

Merry Christmas…and enjoy the GIFTS you give and receive this holiday season.

Taylor

“Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.” – Ephesians 4:29

'Different' changes...

‘Different’ changes… 

 

It’s often easier to go along with everyone else’s view.  It’s less risky to just agree, conform, and to even transform our approach to align with theirs.  That way we don’t disrupt or cause a stir.

But we don’t change much either…

Being “our own person” and staying true to “who we are on the inside” sounds simple, but it isn’t very easy.  We’re often fearful that if we speak up too much; if we allow ourselves to become overly passionate about any given topic, we won’t be accepted.   

Moreover, we think if we’re too different from “them”, or if we veer too far away from their views, we certainly will never get ahead; personally nor professionally.

That may be true today…in this conversation…in this email…in this presentation… in this meeting...or in this job…when it's unpopular...but what about tomorrow?  Being different today may very well change things, paving the way for a better future. 

Different changes, introduced at inopportune times (and for most, ‘change’ of any kind almost always feels like it comes at inopportune times), are hard for the masses to accept, let alone to navigate all the implications of how the dominos will fall if/when the changes become the new norm.  Change is hard for people and it’s scary.

I contend, however, that ‘DIFFERENT’ CHANGES…the future.

Whether it’s having a different thought, approaching things differently, or just simply being different…positive change is often the result, going forward.

In 1861 when Abraham Lincoln took office as President of the United States, he was different.  His style.  His words.  His approach.  Even his views and beliefs…they were different than the masses’. Because he was so different, he eventually changed the course of history and saved the soul of America - when in 1865 the Thirteenth Amendment was finally passed and adopted, slavery was abolished for evermore in this country. 

Was he different?  Definitely.  And because he was different, the course of our nation’s history was changed for the better.

I’m not suggesting that we can all change the course of history, nor do I think we can all change the world by simply being different.  However, just think of the potential opportunities we all have to:

·      Change someone’s perspective with our out of the ordinary idea

·      Add a little levity to otherwise mundane situations, just by being “us”

·      Enhance someone’s experience, by treating them differently than others do

·      Inspire a coworker to never give up on their dream, by merely sharing ours

·      Turn a negative into a positive, by simply thinking about it differently

·      Roll with the flow and laugh it off, when everyone else lashes out

·      Encourage and model contentment among the discontented group

On second thought…maybe we CAN change the world, OneMoreStep at a time, just by stepping up, stepping out, and taking pride in being different.

‘Different’ changes…maybe not today…but with time, ‘different’ changes our thoughts, which changes our actions, which changes people around us, which eventually changes the world…for the better.  That’s what the OneMoreStepRevolution is all about.

Have a great day.

Taylor

Different changes…for the road

·      In the Broadway musical, ‘Wicked’, Elphie (“the Wicked Witch of the West”) was very different...she was peculiar…she was GREEN!  Yet “because Glinda knew her…” she was “changed for good”.

·      Walt’s original ideas for “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” and “Mortimer Mouse” were met with some different thoughts and feedback…different thoughts and approaches that eventually led him to create our pal, Mickey Mouse.  What if Lillian (Walt’s wife) didn’t share her different point of view?  Can you imagine a world without Mickey?  How boring.  How sad…

·      Steve Jobs had some different thoughts about full length animated motion pictures AND personal computing.  Because he was different, we have inspirational Disney·Pixar movies that capture our hearts, minds, and emotions.  We can also do things that twenty years ago, we could only dream of doing with devices like i-phones, i-pads, Macs, etc.

Happy holiDAYS...Copy/Paste

Happy holiDAYS…Copy / Paste

This time of year we reflect, give thanks, celebrate, give gifts, and spread holiday cheer.  If nothing else, we set out, on purpose, to make each other HAPPY. 

The hustle and bustle of the season can be stressful with the shopping, decorating, cooking, and holiday-ing…but for the most part, we love that special, happy holiday feeling. 

We love a little stronger.  We open our mind a little wider.  We give a little more…of ourselves…of our time…and we give more gifts, simply because, it’s “the holidays”.  We even give to people that are in need…that we don’t even know.  ‘Tis the season to _____________.   (Fill-in-the-blank).  We do so much, during the holidays, beyond what we usually do.

Sure this particular holiday season only comes around once per year.  However, who says we have to wait until Starbucks starts brewing their Holiday Blend coffee, to set out, on purpose, to make each other HAPPY? 

What if on a routine Tuesday afternoon in January, or again in March, or again in June…what if six months from now you and I spent some time – reflecting, giving thanks, giving an unexpected gift, celebrating, and/or spreading good ol’ fashioned CHEER? 

How would we feel?  How would they feel? 

I bet we would make people HAPPY.  I bet you and I would stop, look around, and smile…and we would be HAPPY as well. 

OneMoreStep thought for the Holidays: We should take a mental inventory of the gifts and time we give, the cheer we spread, and the happiness we bring to one another during the holidays.  And COPY/PASTE those actions and emotions and love to ALL of our days.

I hope your holidays are happy, and I know that if we all go OneMoreStep for each other, even after the holidays are over, the people in our lives will have many, many HAPPY DAYS.

Have a great day.

Taylor