Thursday, December 30, 2004

The Best Christmas Present Ever

RockStories

I gave myself a new life for Christmas. I was pretty excited about it, too. It was a kind of make-over, but it was completely different from those New Year's resolutions we all tend to make and break before January sees its first new moon. You see, my new life was going to be for MY benefit...not to make me a better person or to get me to do any of those things that I SHOULD BE DOING, but simply to remind myself to do what was necessary to make my life what *I* wanted it to be. Sure, sometimes that might mean doing a little work, but it wasn't because I shouldn't let papers pile up on my kitchen table...it was because I love to sit down at a clean, empty table before I go to bed at night and drink my orange spiced tea (or whatever the flavor of the moment might be) and write in my big, heavy old journal. In pencil.

I gave myself this new life, and I was excited enough about that, but an interesting thing happened. Quite by accident, I gave it to OTHER people, too. First, my friend Barb told me that she liked the idea so much that she was designing one for herself, too. Then my best friend said HE was giving himself a new life for Christmas, too...but his came with seven day free trials, because he hadn't worked out all the details yet.

I've mentioned how I love ripples, right?

Just when I was thinking how cool it was that this great feeling I had was spreading to my friends and hoping it worked for all of us, Barb emailed me and told me she wanted to use the concept in her column, which goes out to hundreds of readers--and she did. Here it is: http://www.sothethingis.com/Christmas%20Present.htm

Take a look, try on the idea...it's not too late. Some people give gifts on New Year's Day, some are after-Christmas bargain shoppers, some arrive late by mail. Give it some thought, and wrap up your own gifts to yourself. It's amazing how a simple idea like "I really need to clean that counter" looks different when it's wrapped up in shiny paper and phrased like this: "I'm really going to be a lot happier when that counter is clean."

And while you're there, browse around and read some more of Barb's columns, maybe subscribe to her newsletter. Those little monthly insights and motivations might be a great addition to your new life!