I can honestly tell you that I have had quite enough of this
year and am, frankly, looking forward to farewelling 2011 and welcoming 2012 in
with gusto. It seems there has been heavy clouds hanging over many many heads
throughout the year all over the world and we were no exception. We were greeted at the beginning
of the year with our dreadful floods which affected us both emotionally and
physically (my car went under 5 metres of water) and caused such incredible
devastation and loss of life; following this was the sudden and sad loss of a loved one to be
then followed with a large negative influence which attempted to fracture our
family unit; as well as constantly hearing from others the hardships the flood has brought
upon so many; the Japanese earthquake; the New Zealand earthquake; the Bangkok
floods; our local news constantly discussing whether the hydrologists should or shouldn’t release water from our large Wivenhoe dam as
they predict another big wet season is about to greet us even though it has been
our driest November in many many years and so it goes on and on. Accompanying
this I can tell you that it was the quietest year I have had in my five years
as a stallholder at our local market as we all understandably watch our pennies and through all of this, the constant of the GEC which we have all woken up
with and gone to bed with for some two years now. Quite frankly I have had enough and it is time for some fun.
Last evening we had our annual community BBQ around our apartment
pool and which was a huge success and where the common theme of conversation
was just as I have said, we all need some Christmas cheer to help turn the
tides. Yep, I am talking some damn good belly laughs with some smiles thrown in
for good luck.So I am asking all who read this that although so many have suffered in so many ways this year and, including me, we may not have had the laughs and good fortune we had wished for on New Year’s day this year, as we all go about our Christmas shopping, albeit low key spending for many, can we all please make an effort to find a smile and pleasant comment or two for those we encounter whilst we enter into the festive season. I mean we all know Christmas shopping time seems to release in some of us the “Grinch” type attitude (and I am talking the pre-Cindy Lou Who-let’s-show this creature what can be achieved by being nice instead of angry period) with the “serve me first and quickly and let me get-the-hell-out-of-this-shop” type of human being. Yeah, it is true, shopping is tiring and boring and futile to many but have a thought of those behind the counters serving as well as the man or woman next to you in the line-up, not to mention that person who stole your car park seconds before you set foot inside the shop. That person next to you may have lost everything in the recent floods or in the GEC; they may have just heard the worst news possible about a loved one or about themselves, they may have even just lost their job and may be just about to lose their home. It is everywhere at the moment folks and no-one is immune from any of it.
So in this busy, exhausting and financially challenging Christmas
season, instead of reminding yourself how much negativity life has allowed to
land on your lap as I have just allowed myself to do, remember the saying ‘what doesn’t kill you only makes you
stronger’ and let’s allow some green and positive thoughts creep in to our heads. Before you want to give the evil glare to that car park thief, don't! And remember, even the wealthiest of the
wealthy aren’t wealthy every second of every day....just look at the
stock market!
So keep those heads up, find that smile that costs nothing
and do one or two random acts of kindness for someone this Christmas season and
some ‘thank you’s, ‘cheers’ or a’ Merry Christmas’ to a stranger or two even
though you really just don’t feel like it. Trust me, it will make you feel like
a million dollars.
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