Daily Inspiration: “Last minute shopping? Give the gift of optimism!”

“Last minute shopping? Give the gift of optimism, wrap it with the magic of your enthusiasm, and demonstrate it with your continual positive action!” – Futurist  Jim Carroll

For some people in the world, tomorrow is a celebratory day; for many other religions, their day of celebration falls on a different day. Regardless of the timing, the season can be, for many, a time of joy, marked by tradition and family. It is a season that can bring out the goodness in mankind.

Yet for many others, it is a time of stress, worry, fear, loneliness and pain. For some, it can be a stressful series of days to get through, particularly as they witness all kinds of celebratory excess that often goes wrong.

And with today comes the frantic activities of those for whom procrastination is an art form, and for whom Amazon Prime is no longer a viable option! The stress multiplies!

Need a last minute gift? You’ll probably find one – but also consider adding another item to your basket! For some people, the best gift this season is not a ‘thing’ or an ‘item’ – it’s an action, a behaviour, an attitude, a way of living that brings joy to the hearts of those around them!

You might also consider the gift of rethinking your world view. 2018 seemed to be year that was marked by the continued emergence of the hateful and the spiteful, fuelled by the mind of a man who delights in denigrating and insulting everyone around him. With that, we’ve seen the worse of the so-called ‘Religious Right,’ exposed for the shallow hypocritical thinking of their racist worldview.

2018? We have seen a world with babies locked up in jails. Many of those who supposedly support the religious idea of Christmas have been active supporters of such an agenda. Go figure.

I prefer to go back to the spiritual roots of the season – it is a time to believe in the opportunities of renewal.

Perhaps we might see the arrival and engagement of a greater number of people with real ethical and moral values, who help to make the world a better place.

Perhaps that might be you, with your own relentless optimism.