During the Holiday

I know that a lot of people struggle with finances these days. The entire country itself is struggling with finances which only makes things more difficult on business and people in general. This is a great time of stress as well. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to give and make other people we love happy. Sometimes that is just impossible. I know of families that have members that have lost their jobs. The stress became so bad that they fought with each other and one of the parties leaves the other behind. This causes more stress. The other party then doesn't perform as well at work or in her/his relationships outside. They lose friends and become more isolated. This is all a trap. So before you become a statistic think of these things:

1. A gift is one that comes from the heart. It can be as simple as a smile or a note that tells someone how important they are. It does not have to cost money or run on batteries or electricity. If a person doesn't appreciate such a gift then it is their own materialism in question and not your generosity.

2. If you are going through hard times your spouse/significant other is the person you should most be able to lean on. Before arguing about money think about what is truly important. I know for a fact that if I lost everything I own today and still had my family I would feel lucky and blessed. My house is a thing. My car is a thing. My family is my heart. I may not plan on losing my home or car, but things happen that are sometimes beyond our control. Think about this for a bit and you will understand what I mean. Arguing over things are not as important as maintaining communication and love.

3. Never give up. Sometimes help comes from the most unexpected sources. I know someone personally that a year ago had lost it all. They kept the family together. They persevered, managed to gain other employment and a year later are back on their feet - as a family. Put out good energies instead of focusing on the bad that happens.

4. Give up on the past. Don't place blame on everyone and everything else. Focusing blame doesn't change your circumstances. The only way to move forward is to focus on what you need, not on what you may have lost or may lose. Sometimes people blame others and other things just to justify themselves. It's not necessary. Being right or wrong doesn't change the circumstance. It only holds us back longer and tends to make us seem that we are feeling sorry for ourselves.

For those of us that have been blessed with continued good fortune, pass it along. I don't mean with money or gifts, but with support, love, and encouragement.

Remember, an act of kindness never truly goes unnoticed, sometimes it just feels that way because we expect immediate results.