Holidays are a time of tags. They convey messages, identify who something is for and from, at times they include instructions of what to do or not do. Our tags stick to, tie on, and sometimes are simply forgotten (ever had that gift with no tag or card to identify who it's from?). We all carry our own "tags" around with us - past traumas, fears, joys, expectations, judgments, loves, likes, tears...the positive and negative. Some seem tied on, flapping in the breeze while others must be super-glued and others we simply refuse to acknowledge or see at all.
Most of us find we try to keep everything contained so others don't find out what's really going on the inside. Often during the holidays, however, the symptoms of our "tags" can come seeping out, oozing between the cracks which have not yet been addressed or we are not yet aware of. Something about how we're "supposed to feel" during this time of year just doesn't mesh with our current personal truth and it can become increasingly difficult to hold everything in and keep up a facade or plastic smile of happiness and glee.
So, what are some tips for maximizing your ability to stay present with yourself and others as part of the gift of presence we are all are meant to bring to one another. Take some time out to spend a moment or two reading your own ‘tags’ and ask our Heavenly Father, God to work with you on a couple of areas. Shrinking and possibly even removing some of our own negative ‘tags’ can enlarge our joy, help us in our spiritual growth, and multiply our positives.