By Dr. Dina Evan

Wow and holy cow, we are all on sensory overload! It’s all about disconnect for survival. Everyone says, “I’ve stopped watching the news. We distance from people who want to talk about how hard times are now and we either turtle in with our own family or disconnect from them as well and we end up jingling our bells alone after we shut the front door.  But, is that the right answer?

Begin 2022 with exhilaration

The simple question is how do things change if WE don’t change them? Yep, this is the time of year for ho, ho, ho, joy, love and togetherness. It’s also the time in history for the same. It’s time to look at how we can change things in our little corners of the world. And start the new year with some exhilaration, connection and appreciation.

For instance, starting with ourselves personally, we can make a commitment to feed our minds with the movies, books, music and friends who empower us to be more in alignment with our ethics and values. We can take a moment while sitting across from a friend at lunch and ask ourselves, “Am I feeling really present and connected?”

We can check in to see if we are committed to self-care, enough sleep, the right foods and activities that insure out health and well-being. We can also stop, silently, in the midst of activities and conversations to be sure we are still in alignment with our personal integrity and truth.

And for Christmas, well, the greatest presents are absolutely perfect for this trying time. How about a little box with a note inside that says… “Lunch on me once a month please” or a special card that reads “One visit every couple of weeks to help with anything you need.”

How about “One hour every other week to sit and visit please,” or “My gift to you is telling you how absolutely amazing you are.” Time and intention are incredible gifts of love. And they are not found in stores. Love can’t be sold.

So step back and ask yourself what does my loved one most need. Then, give that as long as you don’t shop for it. These are love gifts so don’t forget to continue giving them long after the holiday season. In our need to stay safe, we have been disconnected for far too long. This is a great time of year to reconnect.

It’s time to remember who we are and where we come from no matter where you are in your life. If you are an early bloomer or a late one, and early change maker or a newly awakened soul, make a difference. Remember we are a family, not just our own, but of the world with every color, hue, gender belief and choices of partners, all of which are precious and all of whom deserve to be respected.

Remember your parents and the challenges they overcame in their lives to be present to you in your life and in this time.

Remember grandparents and the history they created. Though your blood runs courage, patience, acceptance and love. And even those who did not have those attributes in their tool bags, have taught us what and who we do not want or who we do not want to be, so we owe them our gratitude as well.

It’s easy to get so caught up in all the challenges, so much so, that we forget the chances to share love, express concern, provide help and reunite. Our world has become filled with an us against them and them against us mentality. We have forgotten that the world is us, all of us, standing together and whatever happen in the next few years will happen to all of us! Anything that happens anywhere in this world to any color, nationality, gender, sexual preference, language or difference of any kind will affect all of us because in reality there is only one world of all of us. If plants, animals and people perish in one part of this world, we will feel it. If plants, animals and human beings thrive in that same part of the world we will also feel it.

This time is a holy moment called Christmas. Hanukkah, KWANZAA, Las Posadas, Winter Solstice or whatever your celebration is this time of year in which we get to wake up and remember that we alone have the right to create our future and the quality of our lives.

We can only do that hand in hand, making sure that everyone has the support and love they need to succeed. So, what is your best gift going to be?

Dr. Evan is a marriage, family, child therapist and consciousness counselor. She has presented nationwide seminars and workshops, written several books and created meditation CDs for couples, individual and mental health professionals. She has won national acclaim as a human rights advocate. Visit drdinaevan.com or call 602-571-8228.