Is there a particular gift you long for this Christmas – one you hope ends up under the tree with your name on it?  Maybe it’s a gift you’ve had your eye on for some time now – dropping enough obvious hints to all the friends and family you could think of and hoping at least one of them picked up on the clues.

When you think about that gift, I want you to realize there is a gift out there even more valuable – even more precious than the one you desire. 

Ironically, you already possess it.  It has a special, individual and unique meaning to you, but at the same time, it isn’t rare or scarce.  Every living human being on this planet possesses it.  This gift is unlimited in its potential and has the power to transform your life.  But what is equally ironic is how often we unconsciously forget we have it in our possession, devalue it, and let its priceless power slip through our fingers each day.

The ultimate gift this Christmas, the one that tops any present you could ever receive or desire, is the present – the current moment that is unfolding before you right now.

Take a minute to ponder the significance of this very moment – the only point at which your life is truly experienced. 

The past is gone, and the future isn’t certain or assured.  Both are in essence illusions – fading memories which cannot be relived or re-experienced or future plans and dreams that hold no guarantees or assurances.  The only moments that truly matter, the only moments that have power, the only moments that are REAL and filled with unlimited potential are those you are living right now at this very moment.

Yet, more often than we realize, we fill up these precious moments with thoughts of the past or the future – wasting the precious time we have before us. 

If you don’t believe me, take the next seven days before Christmas and be an observer of your own thoughts – keeping track of how often your mind is consumed with the fading past or the uncertain future.  If you’re like me, you will find that a majority of your time is spent focused on these illusions instead of embracing the power behind RIGHT NOW.

You might be thinking…. “The past is important as it has made me who I am today!” or “If I don’t think about my future, my hopes and dreams have no chance of succeeding!”

Or you may be thinking…. “My past was so horrific and so impactful, I can’t possibly ignore how it has changed my life.”  Or “Today is so bleak and hopeless, my only chance at living a good life is to hope for a better tomorrow.”

In each of these statements, can you see the power that is hidden within this very moment?  It is only RIGHT NOW that you have the power to make your past experiences matter – allowing them to positively impact the reality of today.  It is only RIGHT NOW that you have the ability to let go of past pain and suffering – truly leaving it in the past!

If you have a future (as no one is guaranteed tomorrow) the only power you have to impact it is in your actions, attitudes and behaviors RIGHT NOW.  There is no power right now in a futuristic time or place.  The power and potential are found in this very moment where you can choose to see and experience the beauty and the miracles of what is unfolding RIGHT NOW instead of concentrating on what seems bleak and hopeless.

How are you choosing to think RIGHT NOW?  How can you make a difference RIGHT NOW?  What can you change RIGHT NOW?  The answers are unlimited!  The potential in this very moment is powerful and intense – vibrant, real, thriving and full of energy!  It is NOW that life can be fully lived out and fully experienced!

This Christmas, I want you to unwrap this ultimate gift.  See how the present is the most precious thing you have!

Don’t allow past Christmases to taint the beauty of THIS Christmas that is currently unfolding.  Don’t worry about what the New Year holds in store for you.  Embrace what is happening RIGHT NOW at this very moment in time.  Realize the power and potential you hold to make the present moment into anything you want it to be.

If you do, the food will taste better, your family and friends will be more precious to you than ever before, and the gifts you give and receive will have more meaning and substance. The power of the moment will come alive for you!

Most importantly, you will experience a peace that cannot be adequately described when you realize that RIGHT NOW is all you have and is all you ever need 🙂

Merry Christmas and God bless!