Presents. Gifts. Or whatever you like to call them, they are an important part of our lives. They are easy to buy for ourselves, difficult to buy for others and absolutely amazing to receive.
Somehow when this time of the year comes, whether it is Black Friday or Christmas, we are ENTITLED to buy things. We are not guilty for buying stuff, we are not spenders or wasteful people any more.
It’s legal to spend money!
We have been working. And we have been waiting patiently for the best bargain that comes now. Sometimes, whether we consciously agree with this idea or not, we need the others’ approval to buy something. And our own consciousness’ approval.
And now, finally, we are free. It’s the open season of buying stuff.
Because we have invented this holiday. We invented Black Fridays, we invented Christmas. :). Ok, we didn’t invent Christmas, but we have surely changed it and turned it in what it is today. It is no longer a birthday anniversary. The fact that Christ was born on 25th December (though there are scientists saying this is no the actual date) represents a maximum of 10% of the whole holiday.
Today it’s about NOT WORKING. First of all. Then it’s about going away. In a vacation with friends or at your parents’ home. It’s about seeing dear people. Then, it’s about GOOD FOOD. That’s a very important part of the holiday. And is not our fault: we have been built with a digestive system and taste, both connected to our happiness hormone. (Wow, this was put it so academically!)
But perhaps most importantly, we have changed this holiday from a birthday celebration to a global celebration of kindness.
We have cultivated goodness, kindness, compassion and have come to celebrate it now. Everything around us is telling the same thing. BE KIND. Well, and buy as much as you can…..
But in the end, buying stuff and making presents is what we allow ourselves to have after a year of work, right?
Our guilty pleasure.
What’s the point of being tough? What’s the point of working for money if you don’t buy with them what you want? God knows we want so much more then what we can actually afford. Let’s enjoy at least the little pleasures that we can allow ourselves.
There are lots and lots of stores…. But I am quite found of Amazon. Some said they had unfortunate experiences with shipment. I personally haven’t, and I’m a veteran there. For me finding them all in one place means a lot. My only problem is that I cannot decide which ones to buy. Such a frustration!
Two great books!
I will start with an absolutely incredible book. Books always make a good present. And with this book you may change the entire life of the reader. Guaranteed!
How to Live Longer and Feel Better – by Linus Pauling
Linus Pauling was one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century, who won 2 unshared Nobel Prizes (the only person in history who received unshared prizes), one in 1954 for Chemistry and one in 1962 for Peace.
A scientist, who reviewed scientific literature and dared to demonstrate that vitamins and minerals can cure real diseases! He showed that at a less expensive cost, people can be better by only taking vitamins and not drugs. How does this sound coming from a scientist?
The book presents his advice on how to improve your health life and prevent potential serious diseases. The doses, the combinations, the diet in general, are all here in the beginning of the book, followed by reviewed studies and clinical trials from all scientific literature, basically proofs to back up his words.
The book has 338 pages, available on paperbark, published by Oregon State University Press.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Do not forget that we need to heal our soul first and then the body. For this we need to understand which were the traumas that affected us along time and what were the implications on our bodies.
The book is an intense read, covering science and offering lots of real stories to which we can relate and thus better understand our own experiences. The author is the founder and medical director of the Trauma Center in Brookline, Massachusetts. Also a professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and director of the National Complex Trauma Treatment Network.
The stories he tells in his book are excerpts from real life, lived by real people like me and you, with physical repercussions felt by us all.
Learning about others’ stories we will come to understand ours better. We will compare, analyse and understand ourselves. This will trigger a healthier spirit and as a result, a healthier body.
The book has 464 pages and can be found in hardcover, paperbark and audio CD at very affordable prices.
Your parents, your uncles, your cousins…. well, they’ll thank you for these books.
Beauty products: facial creams, shampoos, soaps, you name it…
Here is the perfect moisturizing and protecting cream. Ask a woman if she wants it!
or take this one, made with manuka honey which enriches it with powerful antimicrobial power: Wild Naturals Manuka Honey Healing Moisturizer Cream, 4 oz.
Or, why not trying an exquisite honey?
Like some Greek pine honey, absolutely amazing for the respiratory system, some Spain lavender honey or some Tasmanian leatherwood honey…
or some Indian neem honey, or the New Zealander manuka honey ….
Or simply try something any woman appreciates: jewelry. 
Here are some pendants and necklaces:
As for these pendants… So help me God, I want them all. That’s why I’ve put them all here, I cannot decide which one to buy. With bees, mystical, magical, how can we choose?
Or some earrings, bracelets and rings
Or, for a future beekeeper
If you know somebody who wants to start beekeeping, here are some good suggestions for a present:
The possibilities are unlimited.
So, allow yourself to simply enjoy buying presents. Buy for yourself, too. After all, you are the most important person for yourself.
Treat yourself with love. And honey.
And if you cannot decide just give your loved ones a card. They’ll find something to buy for themselves.
And leaving presents aside, what we should be very proud of, what we have built and what we support for these holidays, is our kindness. We need to work at it. It’s not easy to be kind in these times.
Dalai Lama always says: “Practice compassion!”
Have you noticed? It’s not “be compassionate!” not “Love” not “Forgive!” but…. PRACTICE COMPASSION.
It’s impossible to just be compassionate, so we need to work for it. Just like an athlete is training to reach his goal.
Let’s all practice this together.
Children can teach us.
Take a look of the most beautiful commercial for Christmas ever.
====
