The Five Gifts of Christmas - Gift Five: The Gift of Choice

Ask any kid and they'll tell you that there is nothing worse than getting a new battery operated toy or electronic device for Christmas and then finding out that there are no batteries to power it up or charger to get it started. That's why this fifth and final Gift of Christmas was saved for last because it was meant to be the power source to charge the other four. This week I give you the Gift of Choice.

In each and every moment of our lives, in every area of our lives. we are free to choose which way to go, which decision is the right one, and which action will bring us what we want. Sometimes the choice we make does not turn out the way we wanted it to, or takes us somewhere we did not want to go necessarily. Often it allows us to take that first step in the direction of our dreams. The sad truth is that so many of us believe we don't have a choice, or that someone else holds that power over our lives: our spouses, our bosses, our children, anyone but us. I'm here to tell you flat out that isn't so. You, with a Capital "Y," have the power of choice, and that power can take you anywhere.

When you use the Gift of Choice, you are free to live a more mindful life (Gift One), keeping your focus and your attention on what is in front of you, living in the present moment, and knowing that it is filled with infinite possibility.

When you use the Gift of Choice, you wake up each day in awe (Gift Two) at the magic that is life: the sun keeps coming up regardless of what is going on in our lives, giving us the promise of a new day. The seasons follow one after the other, the leaves fall, the snow sleeps, and the spring awakens to new life without any interference or assistance from we humans. How awesome is that?

When you use the Gift of Choice, you are free to hope (Gift Three) for a better world, a better life and a determination to do what you can, from where you are, with what you have, to make that happen.

Finally, when you use the Gift of Choice, you are free to choose to receive the grace of your Creator (Gift Four) in gratitude and appreciation, and pay that forward in the way you live your life and deal with others, both family and friends as well as strangers you meet on the street. When you choose to receive grace with love and gratitude, the other choices you make will all come from that same place.

So plug that Gift of Choice in and watch the magic come to life. Let it lead you on a wonderful journey to a life of love, peace and joy. Whenever you feel your battery getting low, just plug it in again and let the spark jump start your life!

And so it is.