Deepening Our Connections at the Holidays
Sometimes the best relationship tips and the most interesting relationship and life lessons come from some pretty unusual sources.
Here's one such example...
Recently, Susie rediscovered a wonderful book that she had read many years ago, "Mutant Message Down Under" by Marlo Morgan. This book is about the author's journey on foot with the Australian aborigines and the lessons that she learned along the way. Although the book is classified as "fiction," we think there are many lessons to be learned from it.
One of these beautiful lessons that Morgan wrote about held a special meaning for us and we think that by sharing it with you, it can help all of us to create wonderful lasting relationships that are filled with love.
Here's what Marlo Morgan said in her book...
"They (aborigines) celebrate no holidays in our yearly manner. They do honor each tribe member sometime
throughout the year, not on a specific birthday, but rather to acknowledged the person's talent, contribution to the community, personal spiritual growth. They do not celebrate getting older; what they do celebrate is becoming better."
What a concept--celebrating becoming better!
In our culture, we usually create holiday and birthday celebrations but they are usually not focused on honoring each other in this way.
These celebrations are usually not times of meaningful and fulfilling connection. In fact, in some cases, they are
difficult and show how separate we've all become in our society.
What we've discovered is that it doesn't have to be this way. We can all learn to celebrate each other in meaningful ways.
Here's a simple example from our own lives of how we recently did this...
Last weekend, we spent a couple of days with a group of like-minded friends and someone in our group made
a suggestion that you or anyone can do at your next gathering of friends or family that could be transformative for everyone.
What was her suggestion?
As a way of connecting with each other and deepening the friendship and appreciation we have for one another, one woman in our group suggested that we do something that in hindsight seemed very close to what Marlo Morgan described in her book that she experienced with the aborigines in their celebrations of each other.
As we sat around a table after sharing a meal together, we took turns receiving from each person in the group what they considered our talents and contributions to be, as well as how they perceived we had grown spiritually over the past year.
What an experience to hear words of love from each person and to take in who we truly were in their eyes.
Otto was appreciated for being a "dreamer" and for helping several in the group who were starting their own businesses see possibilities that they couldn't see.
Susie was appreciated for her loving compassion and ability to accept people as they were--where they were.
Each person felt "filled" and loved as we completed our circle.
So what can this mean in your life?
At your holiday gatherings of family and friends, we invite you to tell those you love (or even admire) what you see their talents and contributions to be.
It may not be as formal and structured as our experience was last weekend with our friends, but you can do this in any setting and can be done individually, one person at a time.
We're sure that there are many ways that people contribute to your life and positive things that you see about them that they may not see.
To give the gift of appreciation and celebration of others may be the greatest gift of all. We invite you to spread some love maybe in a slightly different way this holiday season, as well as in every day.
