It is a good thing to observe Christmas day. The mere marking of times and seasons, when people agree to stop work and make merry together, is a wise and wholesome custom. It helps one to feel the supremacy of the common life over the individual life. It reminds a man to set his own little watch, now and then, by the great clock of humanity which runs on sun time.

But there is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, keeping Christmas.

Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you?

To ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world; to put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance, and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground; to see that your fellow-people are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy; to own that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life; to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness – are you willing to do these things even for a day?

Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the desires of little children; to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old?

To stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear on their hearts; to try to understand what those who live in the same house with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a greave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden for kindly feelings, with the gate open – are you willing to do these things even for a day?

Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world?

Stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death – and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem two thousand years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love?

Then you can keep Christmas.

And if you keep it for a day, why not always?

But you can never keep it alone.

_____

This article was originally published in 1905 by Charles Scribener’s Sons. We revised a couple of words from men to people and the Bethlehem time reference from nineteen hundred years to two thousand years. We also broke up the paragraphs a bit differently.

What a great weekly read this is.

“People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.”

- Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
English critic and poet

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I’ve been thinking about the business of Christmas… Why we celebrate it and where it came from.

I was pretty surprised (as I’m confident you might be).

Please understand, I’m not kidding…

It looks as if the early Christian church was looking for a way to compete with the pagan celebration of Saturnalia – a week-long festival that honored the god of agriculture, Saturn. Apparently, during Saturnalia (are you laughing at this word yet?) there was also a group of Romans who celebrated the birth of a sun god named Mithra (who was born from a rock).

Mithra’s birthday was December 25.

So… Bottom line… A fourth century Pope took over 12.25 and set it as the day the Christian church would celebrate the birth of Jesus (a day that wasn’t celebrated until that point). History.com has it laid out nicely
with this video.

Now… I bring this to our attention because I’m not a fan of going through the motions (no gomos, right? – people who go through the motions) as I’m sure you’re not.

I believe our focus every day should be on loving our people (our families, our friends, our colleagues, our customers). But what exactly does that mean?

• It means we need to give ourselves to the people around us more (giving them our attention and care).
• It means we need to help end someone’s suffering when we can (and then look for more opportunities).
• It means we need to be kind, compassionate, and patient.
• It means we need to be truthful, forgiving, and humble.
• It means we need to enjoy the hospitality and gifts of others.
• It means we need to be thankful.
• It means we need to connect (really).
• It means we need to be attentive and engaged with our work (to how we contribute).

To me… all of these holidays we celebrate allow us to more often compartmentalize our gratitude and care rather than encourage it to be a part of our daily lives (missing out on a daily celebration that might otherwise exist).

At Christmastime, we embrace getting together more and giving gifts to each other (things) yet at the same time complain about the busyness (and business) behind it all, changing nothing year after year. ("Let’s get together after the holidays when everything settles down.") Then we go into a New Year, pausing and reflecting at certain points over certain things dictated by our federal holiday calendars and those of our chosen faiths (and remember, a belief that there isn’t a god is also a faith).

But in our day-to-day (the bulk of our time here) opportunities for care (love), will we be awake enough not to go through the motions and make a positive difference to others whenever (wherever) we can… despite the particular day?

Can we remember (more often) that we’re here for each other – that that good feeling we get more often around our winter holiday of choice comes from a love that we can (and should) have every day?

"But then it won’t be special." (special (adj.): being other than the usual)

Wouldn’t that be great?

12.25 is arbitrary. Merry Today.

(Valentine’s Day? You can’t handle the truth.)

UPDATE: I found this piece by Henry Van Dyke that says it so much better… Keeping Christmas.

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Copyright © 2011 by Give More Media Inc. This was written by Sam Parker. If you’d like to tell people about it somewhere (e.g., blog, newsletter, Facebook, social media), please reference Sam Parker of JustSell.com as the author and link directly to the article. Excerpts are great but please don’t publish the article in its entirety without advanced written permission (email Sam using the address at the bottom of this page).

I’ve been thinking about the business of Christmas… Why we celebrate it and where it came from.

I was pretty surprised (as I’m confident you might be).

Please understand, I’m not kidding…

It looks as if the early Christian church was looking for a way to compete with the pagan celebration of Saturnalia – a week-long festival that honored the god of agriculture, Saturn. Apparently, during Saturnalia (are you laughing at this word yet?) there was also a group of Romans who celebrated the birth of a sun god named Mithra (who was born from a rock).

Mithra’s birthday was December 25.

So… Bottom line… A fourth century Pope took over 12.25 and set it as the day the Christian church would celebrate the birth of Jesus (a day that wasn’t celebrated until that point). History.com has it laid out nicely
with this video.

Now… I bring this to our attention because I’m not a fan of going through the motions (no gomos, right? – people who go through the motions) as I’m sure you’re not.

I believe our focus every day should be on loving our people (our families, our friends, our colleagues, our customers). But what exactly does that mean?

• It means we need to give ourselves to the people around us more (giving them our attention and care).
• It means we need to help end someone’s suffering when we can (and then look for more opportunities).
• It means we need to be kind, compassionate, and patient.
• It means we need to be truthful, forgiving, and humble.
• It means we need to enjoy the hospitality and gifts of others.
• It means we need to be thankful.
• It means we need to connect (really).
• It means we need to be attentive and engaged with our work (to how we contribute).

To me… all of these holidays we celebrate allow us to more often compartmentalize our gratitude and care rather than encourage it to be a part of our daily lives (missing out on a daily celebration that might otherwise exist).

At Christmastime, we embrace getting together more and giving gifts to each other (things) yet at the same time complain about the busyness (and business) behind it all, changing nothing year after year. ("Let’s get together after the holidays when everything settles down.") Then we go into a New Year, pausing and reflecting at certain points over certain things dictated by our federal holiday calendars and those of our chosen faiths (and remember, a belief that there isn’t a god is also a faith).

But in our day-to-day (the bulk of our time here) opportunities for care (love), will we be awake enough not to go through the motions and make a positive difference to others whenever (wherever) we can… despite the particular day?

Can we remember (more often) that we’re here for each other – that that good feeling we get more often around our winter holiday of choice comes from a love that we can (and should) have every day?

"But then it won’t be special." (special (adj.): being other than the usual)

Wouldn’t that be great?

12.25 is arbitrary. Merry Today.

(Valentine’s Day? You can’t handle the truth.)

Connect with Sam (guy behind this stuff)…

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Copyright © 2011 by Give More Media Inc. This was written by Sam Parker. If you’d like to tell people about it somewhere (e.g., blog, newsletter, Facebook, social media), please reference Sam Parker of JustSell.com as the author and link directly to the article. Excerpts are great but please don’t publish the article in its entirety without advanced written permission (email Sam using the address at the bottom of this page).

(unfortunately, I think I’d be the manager in this scene…
“work is your new favorite”)

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A beautiful way to start the day and get your mind right (thanks to Mark Hurst for pointing us to it.)…

A Year in New York from Andrew Clancy on Vimeo.

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C.S. Lewis (1942)
from The Screwtape Letters

Here’s Louis CK’s version (funny, huh?). Warning: he’s got a bit of trash mouth.

Hang in their until the end… hilarious. Speaks to the Smile side of Smile & Move (Being awake and approachable).

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This is Eric Thomas speaking to a group of students at Michigan State University a few years ago. He calls himself the Hip Hop Preacher.

If you want more, his TGIM series on YouTube rolls. I like Episode 27 in particular – it’s kind of a 212 message (what’s 212?).

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(The Flintstones is an animated TV show that originally ran from 1960 to 1966. It’s about the lives of “a modern stone-aged family… from the town of BedRock.” The creator of the current show Family Guy is apparently producing a revival of it to air in 2013.)

Just say no to flintstoning.

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"Our innovative product will help you implement dynamic strategies for core competency best practices within the MTA segment…"

"We’re leveraging value-added relationships for optimal processes…"

"This cross-functional partnership with XYZ corporation represents a paradigm shift…"

Think about it… Do statements full of buzzwords communicate anything specific to your prospects and customers? Do you like hearing buzzwords?

Do everything you can to avoid alienating or confusing people. Speak clearly and simply.

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Cross that line and make good things happen for yourself.

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