Welcome to Jennifer Horton‘s page. I posted this blog on Facebook and Xpress Xcellence last year and wanted to repost it here because I feel the message is constantly relevant no matter what time of year.
In the western world Thanksgiving marks the onslaught of holiday consumerism. We start with celebrating our American heritage and the bountiful harvest our pioneers enjoyed by collaborating with the wisdom of the Native Americans knowledge of farming and move into various cultural and religious traditions in December and January that are laced with bows, sweets, elaborate meals and shopping frenzies.
So many traditions enjoy holiday celebrations at this time, each with incredible significance on a spiritual level. Christianity celebrates the birth of the Christ, the savior, who will free humanity from sin. Jews celebrate the rededication of the Temple and the miracle of the oil lasting 8 days. Kwanzaa honors the seven principles of the African-American community: Unity, Self Determination, Collective Work, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith. Just as we all celebrate our physical birth, Diwali honors the awareness of our inner light – that part of ourselves that is pure, infinite and eternal.
Regardless of your religious or cultural affiliation, we can maintain that the purpose of these traditions is to connect us to a higher level of spirituality on a holistic level (body, mind and soul). Where is our spirituality among the tangle of lights? Where is our spirituality when we trample each other over a $50 red special markdown? Where is our spirituality when our children are more concerned over their gift list than the homeless person downtown? Yes, it’s a challenge in our western society to juggle the tradition with the deeper meaning that was intended. It’s so easy to get caught up preparing the stage for the outer tradition that we don’t spare ourselves the time for the inner transformation.
I feel that it’s not so much the consumerism of the season that has led us astray, but the abandonment of the spiritual evolution we are each called to participate in. Heaven knows, I love living in a Western society with all the luxuries, amenities and profits we share. It brings us so many blessings and benefits on both ends of the deal (jobs, insurance, investments) it would be difficult to call it “wrong” . It’s also unnecessary to separate the “wrong” from the “right’, for they come together in a dualistic dance.
What would happen if we would integrate the spirit of Christ on Christmas morning, looking each other in the eye with sincerity and love as we tell each other “the gifts I see in you are….” before a single scrap of wrapping paper is ever torn? What would happen if we embodied complete faith, calm and serenity knowing that all we need will be provided exactly on schedule? What would happen if we all recommitted ourselves to finding our unique blessings, gifts, talents and making the most of our purpose in this lifetime? What would happen if we took a few minutes each day to go inside, to introspect, and connect with our higher self so that we hold the experience of not just “seeing the light”, but “BE-ing the light”?
The chaos that is so often felt by the holiday season could be greatly lightened with our own personal transformation. I love starting my day with meditation and prayer. It provides me clarity, calm and purpose. However, if I never brought the meditation into the remainder of my day, then what is the point of having 5 minutes of clarity, calm and purpose? Yes, I’d have a great 5 minutes, but that would be it. I believe the next level is to bring the meditation and the prayer into every action, every word, every exchange, every thought, and every intention of our day. This is where we truly transcend having a “practice” or even a “tradition” and make it a way of living.
This is what I feel is the true purpose of the holidays: to bring us closer to ourselves, and consequentially to God. However, God is not just in the meditation, church or temple, God is in ALL things. For us to realize a way of life beyond the physical celebration of the holidays, we must practice bringing the spiritual significance into all that we do, think, feel and ARE.
This holiday season chose one thing to integrate into all that you do. Perhaps you want to be more patient, compassionate, giving, or understanding. Write down on an index card “how am I bringing more patience / compassion / giving / understanding, etc. to this very moment?”. How can I Xpress Xcellence right now? Post it on the refrigerator, on the dash of your car, on your night stand. Watch and feel what happens when you embody a practice into all that you do on a daily basis.
Can you change the world? Can I, Jennifer Horton, change the world? Absolutely! Each and every one of us does change the world, and change occurs in an instant, a moment of decision. We are all connected and when YOU make a shift, WE make a collective shift, one at a time. For the actions of ONE, have an effect on ALL. Begin today, begin this moment to make this holiday the most significant and meaningful yet. Not because of what you gave or did for others; but for the gift you gave yourself, to which ALL of humanity is the inevitable beneficiary!
Happy Holidays – Love and Light,
Jennifer Horton
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Thank you for visiting. You can be sure I will continue to write, and since you asked, provide more information. I appreciate your feedback. Thank you so much!
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Thank you soooo much for that feedback! That is just what I needed to hear to keep writing tonight! Thank you!
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Awww, this is so true! There is nothing quite as genuine and compelling as gratitude and happiness from your children. I’ll check out the Pillow Pets. Thank you
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I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has inspired me to start my own BlogEngine blog now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly. Your write up is a fine example of it.
Thank you! I am inspired by your comment….in gratitude, Jennifer
Thanks this made for intresting reading. I adore your wordpress theme, i often come back here and i dont know why. I just genuinely like your website lol… I just read something simular to this on That Are i believe they may of stolen the blog?
Thank you for the nice compliments! I am glad the site resonates with you….I will continue to write and hopefully you will continue to enjoy it! Your feedback is always welcome! In joy, Jennifer
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Thank you very much! I am so glad that you find the site helpful and interesting. I appreciate your feedback. In joy, Jennifer
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Thank you so much for your feedback! I always enjoy hearing from my readers. I appreciate the kind words and encouragement. I will be sure to continue to create and deliver for you. =)
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