THE GOLD WRAPPING PAPER – An Inspiring Christmas Story

What an amazing week this has been with a trip to Macclesfield to coach Dave Clarke, a meeting with Brett Turner my video expert to discuss potential video work next year, a trip to London to visit the Olympic Velodrome to discuss an exciting potential project and finally a trip to Grimsby to deliver my Mental Resilience Masterclass to the staff at Grimsby College.

What a great December this has been, and it’s a great joy to be busy right to the end of the year. I am very excited for next year as the momentum is building.

Relationships are important

It is good to be busy at work, but it is far more important to have good relations with people close to you. It isn’t enough to be rich and busy if you can’t share the joy with those around you.

As Christmas approaches it is a good time to reflect on the people close to you and to consider the relationship you have with them. I have recently reached out to two people who I had lost contact with but who I kept thinking about.

I reached out

Rather than ignore that ever present feeling of guilt I reached out to them and we are meeting in the new year. I can’t tell you how amazing that feels and all those guilty feeling are gone. I have peace with all those around me and that is amazing.

I’ve said many times before – when you are on your death bed you won’t ask for your bank balance, but you will ask for those close to you to be with you.

Don’t ignore the feelings

Don’t ignore any feelings you have about someone in your life who you have lost contact with. Make it a goal to reach out to them and see if you can meet up. There is great peace and joy when you have good relationships with those around you.

I came across this Christmas story recently which brought a tear to my eye and emphasised the importance of love:

THE GOLD WRAPPING PAPER – An Inspiring Christmas Story

“Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family’s only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.

As money was tight, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold paper to decorate one shoebox she had put under the Christmas tree.

He also was concerned about where she had gotten the money to buy what was in the shoebox.

Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, “This is for you, Daddy!”

As he opened the box, the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, now regretting how he had punished her.

But when he opened the shoebox, he found it was empty and again his anger flared. “Don’t you know, young lady,” he said harshly, “when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside the package!”

The little girl looked up at him with sad tears rolling from her eyes and whispered: “Daddy, it’s not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full.”

The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl. He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later. It is told that the father kept this little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life.

Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us has been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.”

A story of love

What a wonderful and simple story of love. You don’t need to be rich to share love. It’s a simple gesture of forgiveness and acceptance which will change the way you feel.

Thoughts for the week:

1. Is there anyone in your life who you have lost contact with?
2. Has it gone too far or is there a possibility that making contact is possible?
3. If it is, I urge you during this festive time to make contact.
4. If you need to forgive something, then try to do so.
5. If you need to say sorry then do so.
6. You will be amazed at what can happen when you reach out.

Well that’s it for this week have a wonderful weekend and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Warm regards

John

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