by Ed and Deb Shapiro: We consider Santa to be the greatest mindfulness practitioner, given his powers of awareness:
- He makes us to do good and feel good. Now that’s a big one, as many of us are often selfish and bad.
- He gives to everyone, all over the world, all at pretty much the same time. This indicates a truly generous heart, one that takes great joy in giving, without needing to receive in return.
- He hears requests and reads our letters. Meaning that he takes the time to listen and pay attention, which we could all do a lot more of.
- And he doesn’t give blindly. Rather he judges what is the most appropriate gift for each. This shows great discernment, as giving needs wisdom in order to be of most benefit.
- He encourages rituals and invokes magic: letter writing, stocking filling, decorations, parades, milk and cookies. Ritual is an essential part of wonder, while magic is the beauty of the unknown.
- He has great psychic powers: he flies in the sky with reindeer, descends chimneys without ever getting covered in soot, goes by many names and forms, and is extraordinarily elusive. Has anyone actually ever seen him?
- He knows where we live. In other words, he is inside every one of us.
- Most importantly, he lifts our spirits at the darkest time, bringing us laughter and joy, which is undoubtedly the greatest gift of all.
So, imagine our delight when, out of nowhere, we received a touching letter from the man himself:
Dear Ed and Deb,
Unfortunately, Mrs. Santa does not agree with you that I am very mindful. She says that just because I can fly and have many different names is no indication of spiritual awareness, and that I still have a long way to go, such as learning how to wash the dishes! So, I must hand back your accolade and ask you to simply refer to me as a jolly old man with a few magical powers who likes to make people happy.
However, I would like to take this opportunity to offer a Christmas message to all your readers. I started giving presents as a way to make everyone feel more appreciated and happy. I thought that would lead to people being nicer, that we would become more caring and friendly to one another. But it seems that my message of kindness and generosity got lost amidst the shopping bags.
I would like to tell your readers that I believe in peace and kindness for all. So, if they want, they can join me by opening their hearts, not just their wallets, and recognizing that we are all one big human family and we all need to be loved and appreciated, whatever color our skin may be or whatever our name is. And we can do this not just for one day a year, but for every day of the year. Do good and be good!
We can all just stop for a moment and say, “Yes we can!” Because there is nothing we can’t do with an open heart. It is by truly believing this that I can deliver presents all around the world all at the same time!
Happy Holidays to all,
Love from Santa
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Ed & Deb are the authors of: The Unexpected Power of Mindfulness & Meditation, and Mindful Relaxation. Deb is the author of Your Body Speaks Your Mind, now in 19 languages. See more at EdandDebShapiro.com
