Give yourself a Christmas present

I live in a country were the bulk of the employed persons are employed by the State and for some reason a large bulk of them have yet to get their salaries.  All points to a bleak festive season and I know many would be tempted to call it a Black Christmas( whoever said all bad days must be black? ).

This omission will result in a lot of broken promises, cancelled trips,  unhappy unions and disappointed business returns. I am no economist and I will not attempt to project the obvious.

Nonetheless, minus the festivities and gaiety I still believe one can get themselves valuable Christmas presents.

1. Seek inner peace
In a season of turmoil it is noble to retreat into your innerself and take stock of what carries currency in your life.

2. Discover who your friends are
In a season of need most will give you a wide berth and even mock your skint circumstances. These are not your friends but just people associated with your season of plenty. Those who stand by you and still call you a friend in your desert experience are what you call friends.

3. Freedom
Birth frees us from the womb and launches us to surf the oceans of life using Co ordinates called decisions. The good book says the truth will set us free. The truth is a gift no other person can give you. Embrace it.

4. Love
One cannot love any other person without first loving themselves.  Love yourself enough to know when to stand ground and when to give up. Love yourself enough to be conscious of who you are and keep at making it better.

5. Faith
Faith is not hereditary.  It is not an imparted act. Faith draws from the inner  person and as much as one can spout theories and repeat what books say , without the faith anchored in the heart all turns to vanity. Run with faith.

6. Courage
This is an expensive commodity. Society ails because courage fails most of us at the crunch.  Knowing you have stood for the weak, protected the vulnerable and spoken for the downtrodden  gives more satisfaction than all the assortments a chocolate shop can provide.

So, as we sit out a difficult season we can give ourselves gifts that will impact on us and the people around us. The rest comes second.

And this too, shall pass.

Merry Christmas.