NEW CASTLE —
This is the season for giving and I thought it would be a great time to talk about the uplifting gift of a positive attitude that you can give to yourself and others.
You give the gift of enjoyment to yourself when you choose to relate to the ordinary routine of life in a positive way. For instance, you can make a choice to enjoy your walk to the car or enjoy running your errands. Uplift yourself. It really makes a difference to you and those you engage with.
There may be certain tasks — for me it’s doing laundry — that I don’t enjoy doing. I enjoy the result of doing it. No stinky clothes — that’s enjoyable.
Enjoyment is an experience that is created through your positive emotions. There are the obvious experiences in life that circulate enjoyment such as vacations on the beach or camping in the woods, depending on your preferences.
However, this holiday season, can you make a conscious decision to gift yourself by choosing to find the very best in what you are doing and feel good about it? If you have to do it anyway, wouldn’t it bless you and everyone around you if you did it with an intention of feeling good about it? Uplifting yourself and others is double-gifting — not to be confused with re-gifting.
If you can’t feel good about what you are doing, it helps to at least accept what you are doing, or what is happening. Acceptance erases resistance, grumbling and complaining. I like to say that acceptance brings peace because there is less inner turmoil. You may not like what you have to do, but if you can accept it, you can make a big difference in your well being, and the well being of those around you.
Sometimes peace can feel boring if you are very addicted to the heat of resentment and anger. Agitation can become a lifestyle. This inner dynamic has been clinically proven to contribute to heart disease and other chronic health issues, not to mention that you may be “stressing out” those around you.
The peace that comes from acceptance is like jumping into a big, cool swimming pool on a hot summer day. When you find acceptance in what life is asking you to do, you plunge into a healthy life-sustaining inner dynamic. The saying, “be cool,” applies here.
Some life circumstances are not easy and can be hard to accept. This is the opportunity to invite gratitude, another attitude that gift-giving brings this time of year.
Gratitude is a worthy life companion, even when you are facing tough times. It can pave the way to enjoyment because no matter what is going on, if you can find something to be grateful for, no matter how small, you can shift the heaviness and negativity of hard times into a soft place to rest — acceptance.
The use of what is commonly referred to as the “Serenity Prayer” is credited to Reinhold Neibuhr, a twentieth century American theologian. The best know form is:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Live the gifts of enjoyment, acceptance and gratitude this season. It’s easy on the budget and you will be appreciated for delivering such an enjoyable Present.
Whole Wheat
Snickerdoodles
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar, packed
- 1 Large egg
- 1 tablespoon Corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For coating, combine 1/4 cup of granulaled sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Beat butter and brown sugar to a consistency of wet sand.
Add egg, corn syrup, vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
Slowly mix in flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt just until moistened.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar to coat.
Place cookie balls on prepared sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until pale golden.
Cool cookies completely on wire rack.
This low-fat cookie recipe makes about 2 dozen snickerdoodles.
