YOUR LIFE A-Z:PRESENTS

GIVE THE GIFT OF LIGHT

PRESENTS Under the Tree

As we are learning together, most of our traditions come from Germany with pagan origins, hi-jacked by the Church to bring people to Christianity.  I would speak to the issue of the Church as opportunists, but that would not speak to the spirit of the season, so I will stick to Advent and using this time of the year to truly reflect on the opportunity that the Christmas Season gives us to connect to other people.  We know the Magi brought gifts to the Christ Child.  We know that in the dark season of winter, Europeans brought each other gifts of food, Yule logs, and other gifts that represented life.  I learned that the tradition of lavish PRESENTS under the tree really began when German Prince Albert married Queen Victoria of England.  Queen Victoria had fond memories of her childhood when her German mother and British father placed PRESENTS under the tree for their children. Queen Victoria developed fond memories of this time and she and her German husband carried on the tradition in their royal family. Beautiful pictures of their PRESENTS under the tree made their way into the paper.  The wealthy middle class adopted the idea of the PRESENTS and today it has become an opportune time for merchants.  I invite you to personalize the tradition for yourself and your family.  Create ways this Christmas (and Hanukkah) to make PRESENTS meaningful and mindful. Choose PRESENTS that make a heartfelt connection to those you choose to gift. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:FRANKINCENSE

Healing comes in Unusual Substances

FRANKINCENSE

Reportedly the magi of the Christmas story brought the Christ-Child, FRANKINCENSE, MYRRH, and GOLD.  Obviously these three gifts had great importance and were worthy to gift to newborn royalty.    FRANKINCENSE is harvested from a Boswellia Sacra tree, which are scraggly but hardy trees growing in some of the most difficult climates.  The FRANKINCENSE is a resin that bleeds off of slashed bark of the tree forming a tear like substance.  It was rare in the day of the Christ Child.  It was given to him as a symbol of his divinity.  FRANKINCENSE was used in the Jewish temple as a fragrant incense of white smoke that carried the prayers from the temple to the heart of God.  Today besides incense and perfume fragrance, FRANKINCENSE is finding its way into the medical field.  First it touted properties of healing for arteritis and chronic bowel inflammation.  I began taking Boswellia (FRANKINCENSE) years ago for knee pain and it is the only herb that helps. However, Boswellia (FRANKINCENSE) is making its healing properties known in the field of cancer treatment.  Cancer starts when the DNA becomes corrupted and cells become mutant.  FRANKINCENSE is thought to help the cells reset themselves by separating the brain of the cell from cell’s nucleus, which renders the cell powerless to recreate itself, thus slowing the cancer growth down.  I am not suggesting you run out and buy a bottle today, but I am bringing forward the fact that FRANKINCENSE is still powerful and useful over 2,000 years later. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: PRICELESS

BREATHING IS PRICELESS-KEEP IT UP

PRICELESS

There are some things in life that you cannot put a price tag on.  Take a moment and close your eyes and breathe deeply in and out slowly as if you are blowing out a candle.  Bring into your mind your family members, friends, colleagues, and connections.  They are PRICELESS.  Next, think about these realities: you are reading this and comprehending it, you are breathing, you are able to imagine blowing out a candle; and you are here.  Those gifts of life are PRICELESS.  If you are reading this, you probably have a roof over your head and food to eat.  That is also PRICELESS.  Other PRICELESS gifts in your life today are your health, your mobility, your heart’s desires, and you.  Yes, this sounds like a gratitude list and in one way it is.  

The TWENTY MINUTE COACH does not think that you can be reminded too often to reflect on the PRICELESS gifts of your life.  It is easy to get lured into the Western mind of advertisement and seducing unnecessary necessities, but the real day to day joy comes from everything around us that is in and of itself PRICELESS.  You cannot buy happiness, joy, or health.  Thus, it is important to focus on the PRICELESS gifts, which in reality you cannot live without.  PRICELESS is your brain.  Protect it, nourish it, and feed it with positive thoughts, exercise, and good food everyday.  Take care of your brain and it will take care of you.  Take care of your family and friends and they will be PRICELESS to you.