Christmas: Spread the Gift of Your Time!

We are at that time of year again as the clock winds down the last few weeks of December 2007. The end of the year is typically capped by the period of Christmas. Ah...Christmas! What does Christmas invoke in you? Some of you may think of Christmas trees, Santa Claus, Christmas carols, turkey and ham, reindeer... Some of you may think of the Christmas shopping for party clothes, accessories and blowing your bonus on the loveliest presents that money can buy for you and your loved ones. Some of you may feel that Christmas is over-rated because the commercial aspect of retailers making use of the season to urge you to spend more has spoiled the true spirit of Christmas.

What is the true spirit of Christmas?
Christmas means different things to different people. As this blog is ultimately a blog that focusses on financial freedom for you, I would like to spread a different message about the true spirit of Christmas that my journey towards financial freedom has revealed to me.

Christmas is about caring and sharing, it is about being with your loved ones and cherishing them for some of the unsung sacrifices they made. It is about giving not physical gifts but rather the precious gift of your time!

All of us are given the same 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year and years to our lives. Each day is the same for all of us. The defining factor in how we live our lives is what we chose to do with that 24 hours. Christmas has been tainted by the mercenary nature of capitalism, which tries to turn it into a guilt-free orgy of spending and splurging. To indulge yourself and your family's hedonistic tendencies all in the name of love and sharing. Fiddlesticks! There is nothing wrong in spending your money to buy things that you and your family can appreciate. But to see this as the only tangible way to show love is missing the point.

The gift of time is more precious that trinkets and toys. Time is a limited commodity and is doled out in the same 24 hours to everyone rich or poor, happy or sad. When you give someone your full attention, when you offer to run an errand for someone, when you take time out to think about a person, these are contributions of your precious time to them. So instead of giving in to the Christmas commercialism, chose to spend less and do more gifts that involve time than money e.g. write a short note affirming and acknowledging him or a simple sms to say "hi". These are gifts of time are more valuable than what money can buy.

Chose to give the gift of your time
As we move towards this festive period where feasting, followship and feverish spending is the norm, consider spending less in terms of money (and use it for investments! :-) and spend more time appreciating and loving your family and close friends. Send a heart-felt e-card to them. Go out for lunch with them and really listen to what they have to say. And take time to hug and say "I love and appreciate" you for your loved ones.

These gifts of time are powerful. They are enduring and they will leave footprints in their hearts to know that you care about them.

Christmas is beckoning and I would like to wish all my readers of this blog, "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2008!"

As ever, my gift to you is the continued articles to this blog. Even if I manage to touch just one person through fivecentstencents, it would have been worth this gift of time.

Be well and prosper!