Extending the Holiday Spirit

This past weekend, we took down the Christmas decorations. The house now feels barren. An emptiness has set in.  

It didn’t seem that way before the Holiday Season. Maybe what I’m feeling is just the onset of winter’s blues; now that Holiday parties are over, and the grandkids have left. 

But it’s more than that. Something is missing; something powerful.

I think it’s Spirit!

I was fortunate to be brought up in a family where the Spirit of Christmas was strong. The feeling is hard to describe, but, in essence, it’s an energy born of deep relationships. The Holiday season exudes a Spiritual energy. I’ve been thinking, wouldn’t it be wonderful to extend that into the rest of the year? 

Maybe that’s not an unreasonable aspiration. Why partition Spirit to a particular day of the week or time of the year? But it begs a personal question: What would be required of me to do that? That’s the question that stimulated this post.

First, I need to get more attuned to how Spirit enters my life. That’s not as easy as it sounds. Spiritual energy transcends place, time, and even death. Spiritual energy isn’t restricted to people. The connection I feel at our cabin is undeniable. Nature exudes Spirit. 

The more I thought about it, the more it seemed that Spirit is embedded in everything, lying just below the surface, waiting for me to open myself to its presence. 

When it comes to extending Spirit throughout the year, the missing factor might well be me. 

There was a time when society as a whole set aside a special day of the week for Spiritual observance. When I was young, stores and gas stations weren’t open on Sunday. People spent more time together. That’s not true anymore. 

As society becomes more secular, there’s a danger of losing our connections with Spirit. That’s not to suggest that religion is the answer for everyone. I haven’t attended a church service in years, yet I identify as a Spiritual person. Spirit is larger than ideology and beliefs. Spirit is indigenous to life.

If I am right, if Spiritual energy is implicit in all relationships, to experience this, I’ll need to overcome the fear of intimacy, become more comfortable with vulnerability, and open myself to deeper connections. Setting the small rectangle in my pocket aside would probably help. Never in history have we been so entertained, and yet, so empty!

There’s a mysterious serendipitous element to Spirit, sometimes presented in momentary experiences of transcendence. But one can neither wait nor rely on those alone.  Spirituality grows with intentionality. Life is Grand Ecology.  Spirit is revealed when we open ourselves to interconnectivity. 

In pursuit of that, I intend to extend the following practices in my life: 

Slowing down

I’d like to know when it was, exactly, that we became so obsessed with busyness. Perhaps it’s an artifact from Puritan traditions? I find Spiritual connectivity when I release my mind from incessant thinking and become still. Some call this mindfulness; I like the term silent fitness. I cover this in my new book, The Secret Within (available soon).

Suspending Judgment

When I’m dismissive of someone because my perspective doesn’t align with theirs, I’m usually at fault.  Judgment seriously impairs connectivity, destroying potential intimacy.

Witnessing Life

I don’t take enough time to do this. If life were a movie, witnessing would be like stepping out of our roles as actors to become directors watching a scene play out. This can be done anywhere. I especially enjoy spending time in nature because it reveals the interconnectivity of life. Witnessing invites us to be still.

Seeking Union

Spirit is often conflated with religious belief, which can lead nonreligious individuals to reject Spirit out of hand. That need not be the case. When I let go of incessant thoughts and Self-obsession, I am pulled towards union. Spirit naturally brings us together. 

How one pursues Spirituality is a personal decision. There is no single right way. But I think it is possible to extend Spiritual connectivity throughout the year. For me, that will require greater intentionality and a change in routines.  

A strong body, mind, and Spirit are components of a life filled with joy, meaning, and belonging.

The door to Spirit opens from the inside.

 It’s on each of us to find the key. 

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My first book, Towards A Life Well-Lived, can be purchased by clicking this link. Proceeds from sales are donated to Peace In Schools, a Portland, Oregon-based organization that supports mindfulness training in high schools. 

Stay tuned for my new book, The Secret Within, which I expect to be available soon.