This Static Spot is open for sponsor

Click Here to Sponsor MCT Eric Post in Full Page

Afrikaans Afrikaans Albanian Albanian Amharic Amharic Arabic Arabic Armenian Armenian Azerbaijani Azerbaijani Basque Basque Belarusian Belarusian Bengali Bengali Bosnian Bosnian Bulgarian Bulgarian Catalan Catalan Cebuano Cebuano Chichewa Chichewa Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional) Corsican Corsican Croatian Croatian Czech Czech Danish Danish Dutch Dutch English English Esperanto Esperanto Estonian Estonian Filipino Filipino Finnish Finnish French French Frisian Frisian Galician Galician Georgian Georgian German German Greek Greek Gujarati Gujarati Haitian Creole Haitian Creole Hausa Hausa Hawaiian Hawaiian Hebrew Hebrew Hindi Hindi Hmong Hmong Hungarian Hungarian Icelandic Icelandic Igbo Igbo Indonesian Indonesian Irish Irish Italian Italian Japanese Japanese Javanese Javanese Kannada Kannada Kazakh Kazakh Khmer Khmer Korean Korean Kurdish (Kurmanji) Kurdish (Kurmanji) Kyrgyz Kyrgyz Lao Lao Latin Latin Latvian Latvian Lithuanian Lithuanian Luxembourgish Luxembourgish Macedonian Macedonian Malagasy Malagasy Malay Malay Malayalam Malayalam Maltese Maltese Maori Maori Marathi Marathi Mongolian Mongolian Myanmar (Burmese) Myanmar (Burmese) Nepali Nepali Norwegian Norwegian Pashto Pashto Persian Persian Polish Polish Portuguese Portuguese Punjabi Punjabi Romanian Romanian Russian Russian Samoan Samoan Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic Serbian Serbian Sesotho Sesotho Shona Shona Sindhi Sindhi Sinhala Sinhala Slovak Slovak Slovenian Slovenian Somali Somali Spanish Spanish Sundanese Sundanese Swahili Swahili Swedish Swedish Tajik Tajik Tamil Tamil Telugu Telugu Thai Thai Turkish Turkish Ukrainian Ukrainian Urdu Urdu Uzbek Uzbek Vietnamese Vietnamese Welsh Welsh Xhosa Xhosa Yiddish Yiddish Yoruba Yoruba Zulu Zulu

 

 

Article Navigation

Back To Main Page

 

Click Here for more articles
Google
The Day X-Mass Went Up For Sale
by: Geela
My mom used to say, "we remember a friend with a flower." In other words, it's the intention and not the size of the gift that counts. But in a materialistic-driven society, where everything has a price tag even friendships and holidays, that's considered "uncool" and politically incorrect.

Remember the famous line from the hit movie "Harry Potter" which best captures today's mentality of excessive self-indulgence and a sense of entitlement, "But Mum, how could you get me only 22 presents for X-mass this year...?"

The unholy power and the negative effects of commercialism of the holiday season, which is perpetuated by the media (driven by profits), simply can no longer be ignored. We spend a lot of time and energy in a trance-like manner trying to survive the jungles of shopping malls while getting into further debt just to meet expectations that not only don't bring us joy at all but also create a sense of resentment as well. We feel darn too drained to even enjoy the holiday spirit and the fruit of our labor. To ease our conscious some of us resort to sending checks but avoiding any personal contact or having any meaningful spiritual connection with others. When the intent behind the act of gift giving is diluted with other reasons such as giving out of a sense of obligation with resentments attached to it, or when it's for PR purposes with strings attached, it defeats the whole purpose of the true spirit of the holidays.

What once used to be an experience we eagerly looked forward to, had become a major source of stress and even dreadful in some cases. That's because whether we realize it or not, in the rush to satisfy our insatiable desire to consume and "keep up with the Jones's" and because we were brainwashed to believe that "He with the most toys lives," rather then "He with the most joys lives," we neglect our spiritual roots and the fact that we are spiritual beings experiencing the human experience and not the other way around. As such we were meant to live a life of meaning and purpose by connecting with others with kindness and compassion through the act of giving with no strings attached. When we lose our spiritual foundation, we lose the biggest part of our existence that enables us not only to prosper with dignity and pride but also we experience an artificial type of joy and life itself becomes an empty experience devoid of true meaning and purpose or real joy.

Nowadays the holiday season is not talked about in terms of celebrating the miracle of life, faith sharing, giving and connecting with the community, but rather in terms of dollars and accumulating lots of toys that produce artificial joy. The holiday season is simply a geniuses marketing concept. In fact it has become so commercialized that the holiday season is the biggest marketing season. Businesses rise up or fall just based on that season alone.

But when we ignore the true beauty of a rainbow, we miss out on a great experience and limit our joy. Perhaps when we reflect on what really matters in life, we can once again discover the true spirit of the holiday season which has no price tag, and realize that indeed the best things in life are free, and great things still come in small packages. That's when we can once again find joy in simple pleasures that comes from connecting with real people which creates real joyful experiences in the face of any adversity or perceived lack.

The holiday spirit is all about faith and miracles too. But when it comes to faith and miracles, it's shocking to discover how faith in achieving a piece of the American Dream is increasingly fading away. The American Dream is becoming more and more like the Impossible Dream. So much so that most Americans today believe that their chances of winning the lottery are probably better than achieving the American Dream. With the current Enron type of economy, the huge debts and budget deficits (which are really a reflection of our deficit in integrity), most Americans believe that nothing short of a true miracle will restore an economy that was once the envy of the world.

And yes, we could certainly use a miracle to deliver us from environmental and spiritual pollutions (characterized by a lack of integrity and an erosion in morality) and restore failing systems and institutions from our lagging behind the world education, failing family systems, social ills (senseless violence in our schools, higher crime rates on our streets, substance abuse, increased youth suicide, perversion and more) to corrupted politicians who are more concerned with getting elected thus exhibiting love of power rather than power of love and fraud in businesses that has become an accepted practice in our society.

Many Americans believe that America has seen its finest hour, unless we adopt a new attitude. It would take a miracle to restore the greatness of this nation who was once a source of great inspiration and earned the respect of the world, but now we find ourselves going dangerously from a nation of innovative producers into a nation of insatiable consumers willing to get into debt just to support a lifestyle we can no longer afford because we feel compelled to keep up with the Jones's. This is a by product of the newly evolved American Dream which is based on materialistic values system and drives people to greed and corruption and the erosion of morality and integrity.

Since the holiday season is also about sharing the good news, so here it is. America who is now in a desperate need for healing, hope and transformation, can be revived by restoring integrity and wholesome values system and the true spirit of the American Dream, which was based on perspiration, innovation, risk and reward, creating total prosperity, joy and peace. Now that's something to get excited about and even sing Hallelujah!

About the author:
Copyright © 2004-2005, Geela
Author of "The American Dream"
http://www.Geela.com

Geela is an award winning singer/songwriter/composer, columnist, and author of the best-selling book "THE AMERICAN DREAM," her true- life story of how she came to America as a young immigrant with nothing and overcame incredible obstacles to achieve mega-success. She founded ONE SPIRIT, ONE WORLD to help children and promote a culture of peace and harmony. Get a free sample of her music and her book at http://www.Geela.com


Circulated by Article Emporium

 


©2005 - All Rights Reserved

This Static Spot is open for sponsor

Holiday Planning

Read Articles:


 Keep Seniors Independent and Involved -Practica...

 How To Save Money On Your Holiday Gift Shopping

 Do You Know The Origins of Christmas traditions ?

 Holiday Baking Tips: Dessert won't be humble pi...

 How To Be A Good Dog Owner

 Motorhome Rental – How and Where to Find the Be...

 Shoppers Beware - 'Tis The Season

 Make the Winter Fashion Trends Work for You

 Teaching Kids to Understand the True Meaning of...

 Honeymoon

 Your Winter Wedding

 Tips for Christmas Shopping for Babies and Infants

 Holiday Shopping with Online Auctions

 Press ReleaseLingerie Fashion Trends For Fall 2...

 6 Family Christmas Vacation Tips You Must Know

 It's Not Just About Christmas Trees and Christm...

 Christmas Tree Ornament Tips

 5 Christmas Movies For The Whole Family To Enjoy!

 Comfort Comes From Unexpected Places

More Article Pages 1 - 2

 

 Holiday Planning Tips For Busy Moms
 by: Aurelia M. Williams

Ahhh, the Holidays…… The Thanksgiving turkey comes out of the oven golden brown, with an enticing aroma that fills the entire house. All the china is in pristine condition and not a single piece in the set is missing. The family is gathered for holiday pictures, the children are poised perfectly; hands to themselves, not a hair out of place and their smiles are shining brightly for the camera. Then just as the photographer is about to capture the shot… you wake up!

Let's be realistic ladies. Without proper planning, the holidays are anything but a holiday. Just look at the list of things that need to be done: Shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, sending holiday mail, the list goes on and on.

Let me clue you all in on a few key questions that you should ask yourself in order to have a holiday season free of stress and worry, and instead filled with fun and laughter:

What types of holiday celebrations do you want? For example: Do you want to have an immediate family only holiday affair or an extravaganza including immediate and extended family plus a few friends? Once you've thought everything through and decided on the type of holiday gathering you would like, you can then start making your plans.

If you are ready to get a head start on organizing yourself, your family and your holiday check lists, then keep reading:

Holiday Cards: Start early! I use a holiday card list that I derive from saving names and addresses from holiday cards my family has received in past years. I created a simple, computerized list that is easy to edit and print onto address labels. Be sure to stock up on stamps so that when you have your cards signed, stuffed and addressed you can affix a stamp to them and make one, simple trip to the Post Office.

Holiday Gifts: There's nothing like getting a HUGE credit card bill in the mail at the start of the New Year. Many of us tend to want to be generous when shopping for holiday gifts. While your generosity will be appreciated at gift giving time, keep in mind that it is very easy to succumb to "impulse buying" and go all out on your holiday shopping. While your intentions may be good, your pocketbook may be singing a different song. Set a budget and stick to it – your bank account will thank you for it after the start of the New Year.

Wrap it up: Wrap your gifts and place nametags on them immediately after you bring them home, then store the gifts in a secure spot. This will cut down on those late night wrapping sessions that I am sure we ALL have experienced a few times, if not every year.

Baking & cooking: If you will be cooking during the holidays, it is important to plan your meals ahead of time. Be sure to stock up ahead of time on all the necessary non-perishable baking ingredients such as flour, sugar and spices. Create a list of your holiday menus and a list of the ingredients you will need to prepare each of those meals. Also, try to think of a few dishes that can be prepared ahead of time and then frozen as an extra timesaving measure

Delegate: This is one of my favorite tips. Be sure to enlist the help of your family or friends. Sit down and discuss what needs to be done then ask for volunteers. If no hands are raised, simply assign small tasks to each of them. Whether it is arranging for a babysitter so that you can escape for a child free day of shopping, passing the shopping list onto another family member or friend so that they can pick up the items for you, or letting the children decorate your home. Be sure to get the whole family involved in the holiday preparations so that you will not be overwhelmed.

Enjoy: Whatever you decide to do, remember to relax and enjoy yourself. You and your family will have much fonder memories of this holiday season if you are not spending it pulling your hair out.


©2005 - All Rights Reserved

JV Blogs Visit free hit counter