Happy New Year

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My wish for you is that you find 2006 to be more of everything you desire!

"Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas"

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year. - Charles Dickens

"Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas?" If you listen to the pundits it seems there is a war going on to secularize America, a war being fought on the airways, at City Hall, at retailers, and other places of public gathering. It is a war on traditional values and the true meaning of Christmas.

A recent Gallop poll found more than 60% of Americans believe that saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" is not a good thing. The people in my world here in Middle America (Tulsa, Oklahoma) are mostly conservative, evangelical Christians. And many of them are concerned that the celebration of Christmas is giving way to a secular winter holiday. They point to multi-national conglomerates removing "Christmas" from their advertising; schools banning red and green napkins from "winter" parties; Christmas trees being renamed; and hundreds of other happenings that make them believe Christians are losing ground.

This is nothing new. For a number of years Christians of every stripe bemoaned the commercialization of Christmas. They felt the message was being lost under the sheer weight of holiday gifts, food, decorations and cheer. The Christian Christmas was so intertwined with the secular holiday that the two seemed inseparable: Silent Night blared over the shopping mall's speaker system, Rudolph and the wise men found a home on the same decorated lawn, and office parties led to shenanigans prohibited at other times of the year, but were overlooked in the "spirit" of the season. Preachers thundered from the pulpits cautioning their parishioners that the true meaning of Christmas was being absorbed into all things secular.

Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer conglomerates. Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously? It's a beautiful world all right. - Bill Watterson

But today, it seems like we've had enough. "Happy Holidays" simply won't do. So we are up in arms ... arguing, chastising, challenging, berating, and boycotting anyone and anything that so much as mentions "Happy Holidays" instead of our blessed "Merry Christmas." In our haste to stem the secular onslaught, we've missed some important things about the meaning and message of Christmas.

First, isn't Christmas about good will towards all? How can the Christmas message be losing ground when we broaden our greeting to include our friends who hold other beliefs? When we say "Happy Holidays" we are acknowledging that there are many people of faith who have celebrations during this time of year. The Christian message isn't minimized by making the holidays more inclusive. Quite the contrary, inclusiveness is at the very heart of Christmas. A point made quite compellingly in the Christian scriptures with the story of the Christ-child being visited by the "pagan" Magi.

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. - Dale Evans Rogers

Second, when the Christian language of Christmas is removed from the larger cultural winter celebration, a clear distinction will exist. Against the colorless backdrop of a secular holiday the Christian message will be an attractive alternative once again. "Merry Christmas" literally means the Mass of Christ. Christianity not only celebrates the birth of Christ, but his death and resurrection as well. When Christians say, "Merry Christmas" they are celebrating the totality of who Jesus is and what he has done. Maybe when "Christmas" isn't used to introduce the newest product, last-minute-sale, or perfect gift, maybe ... just maybe when we say "Merry Christmas" it will mean something.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. - How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss

Third, is a culture war reflective of the One who was born the Prince of Peace? While everyone should be able to share their faith and defend their beliefs according to their own consciences, this language of conflict has to cease. I'm tired of wars and rumors of wars ... real and imagined ... as were the people in the world into which Jesus was born. The message of Christ didn't spread because Christians traded for favors from the government, nor because they harangued Caesar into allowing a Christmas tree in the forum; neither did it spread because they entered into a cultural war with the popular pagan world. The message spread because it was a message of hope. A message that began with these words, "I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be for all people."

I heard the bells on Christmas Day; their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the word repeat of peace on earth, good-will to men! - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Christians ... the very ones entrusted with the "Merry Christmas" message in the first place ... should make it their aim that everyone - all people - regardless of race, color, creed, or economic situation, have an opportunity to experience good tidings of great joy. No matter which phrase is used!

Greatness

Every day, people settle for less than they deserve. They are only partially living or at best living a partial life. Every human being has the potential for greatness. - Bo Bennett

I was at a speakers training conference this weekend and world-class speaker Kevin Bracy (www.kevinbracy.com) spoke on the importance of moving from excellence to greatness. He said excellence should not be our ultimate goal, we ought to be striving for greatness.

What does it mean to be great? Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer. Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player. Abraham Lincoln is the greatest American president. Elvis is the greatest Rock-n-Roller. Blaise Pascall is the greatest mathematician. Shakespeare is the greatest English playwright. Pick your field and you'll find hundreds of people of excellence, but only a notable few who have achieved greatness.

But that definition of greatness may be way too narrow to be of any value to the rest of us. You see, most of us aren't going to be Shakespeare or Lincoln, we may never be known outside a small circle of people, but that doesn't mean we can't be great. Let's define greatness as the desire, the daring, and the determination to achieve your destiny. You want to achieve it ... you are willing to take the necessary risks ... and you refuse to let anything keep you from making it happen.

I've often said, the only thing standing between me and greatness is me. - Woody Allen

With that definition, here are five things you can do to begin reaching for greatness ...

G - Guard Your Thoughts. Start paying attention to what is filling your mind. Most of the input is a lot like McDonald's Menu, it looks good but it has no nutritional value ... and too much of it will make you sick! Read empowering words, listen to positive messages, refuse to allow negative and pessimistic assertions any room in your mind.

Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children. - Kahlil Gibran

R - Remember Where You've Come From. If you read the biography's of great people you will find a common theme, most of them were common people who treated others with respect and dignity. It is hard to think of a single person we consider great who was arrogant, rude, or treated others with contempt. Remember, you earn respect by giving respect.

Great people are those who make others feel that they, too, can become great. - Mark Twain

E - Exercise Your Body As Well As Your Mind. You don't necessarily need to be in the gym everyday, but if you are going to be a person of destiny, then you may want to take care of yourself so you'll be around long enough to enjoy it!

Greatness consists in trying to be great. There is no other way. - Albert Camus

A - Affirm Yourself. We are bombarded with negative affirmations, and we need to counteract that with positive affirmations (hence my book: Go For It!). From the time you wake up in the morning until you go to bed at night, say positive things to yourself. For every negative comment you hear, you need three or four positive affirmations to neutralize it.

None, but people of strong passion are capable of rising to greatness. - Comte de Mirabeau

T - Think Through Your Own Definition Of Greatness. You may want to be a great world leader, or musician, or artist, or scholar, or athlete, or any number of things ... that's great. Or you may want to be a great son or daughter, or spouse, or friend. Don't let anyone else define greatness for you.

As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world, as in being able to remake ourselves. - Mahatma Gandhi

Don't wait to be great! If you have the desire, the daring and the determination, then you can pursue greatness in everything you DO ... and everything you ARE.