It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace

– Joni Mitchell

What can be said of Christmas that hasn’t been said 1000 times before? You know the drill, the way things go, the tips for good travel, and thoughts on places to go and gift ideas… even a shared recipe or three. The internet and social media are filled with it all and in the end for the most part it is still Christmas as we have always known it. We prepare, it happens and then we are on the countdown for the next one. So how can we make this one different? The answer is within us.

My friend calls it deliberate living. They take every single day as something fresh and new, looking for any opportunity to make the day memorable for themselves or for others. It is smiling at someone or opening a door, offering to help and being aware of everything around them. For them it is every day, all day. Their thought is to start with one day and build up to the 364 other ones.

So I was thinking about that in light of the last blog and this year and travelling and the thought of being deliberate kicked in. What if this year we took time to just settle into the holiday with a commitment to believing that this year will be a different kind of Christmas? What if we went the extra mile to slow down, to be aware of others, to anticipate helping and be only aware of the good around us? What if we remembered that the person next to us in line or in traffic or on a plane is on common ground with us while living a different yet similar life to our own. What if we committed to making this a holiday about others and in so doing what if the wonder of the season returns to us in ways we never expected?

What if?

Let us go and make this a great holiday season…. The best one ever!

Have fun and Happy Christmas from all of us at GroupSource Travel.