Finding Peace this Christmas

It’s Christmas time once again, with all its gifts, bright lights, colorful decorations and delicious food. The essence of this time of year, though, is to find peace and hope. To find that tranquility within ourselves that will bring us balance and guide us towards our own path.

As the new year approaches, we look back at the year that is ending; at what we achieved and what we didn’t get a chance to do – due to lack of time, desire, courage, money, etc. Then, on New Year’s Eve we make our new year’s resolutions. A list of dreams and goals to accomplish during this new opportunity that life is offering us and off we go, ready to start the year with high expectations and a renewed enthusiasm for life.

Why so much need to set goals and make so many plans?
Will all this change bring the so-desired peace in our hearts?

This holiday season, let’s do something different: let’s seek peace inside first. Let’s start with the acceptance of oneself, which is what counts the most. Feeling good in your own skin. For once, let’s start with that, because if not, nothing else matters. From the inside, out. You can’t accept the other, if you do not accept yourself. You can’t love the person next to you, if you don’t love yourself first. We often believe to love ourselves, without really understanding what that means. To love myself means that I like the person I am, that I’m glad to be the person I am.

This does not imply not having dreams and desires, and not setting goals. On the contrary, these are always important for us to move forward, improving our lives. But for change on the outside to have a real effect, we must look on the inside first. To recognize and accept who I truly am, is the most basic and fundamental step. When I like who I am, I’m able to take the necessary steps to embellish my life.

My wish this Christmas is for us to find peace inside of us. To come to peace with all that we truly are. Let’s see the beautiful and the good, the fascinating and the marvelous in ourselves. Let’s embrace our true essence and launch ourselves in the new year honoring who we are.

Only when we are at peace with ourselves, can we be at peace with the others.

Happy Holidays!

by Melina

This article was originally written in Spanish.