Last Saturday I was scheduled to sign my two books at a Barnes & Noble bookstore. We’re now smack in the middle of the holiday season, I decided to make the event a festive extravaganza. I would create an experience that allowed me and the people I met to come out and play.
B&N always provides a table and green table covering, but where’s the pizzazz in that? To spruce up the event area, I brought a merry tablecloth, a holiday table runner, sparkly table decorations, and a Christmas bowl filled with holiday candy.
Also, I wanted to be able to hand out promotional information, but not in the usual blah sort of way. Instead of handing out the standard book information postcards, it felt right to create something that would make people feel good. I had an idea – everyone would receive holiday gift bags!
For two entire evenings, I filled beautiful festive baggies with all sorts of carefully planned surprises. Yes, the goody bags included information about my books, but there were also candy canes, chocolate, bright ornaments, gold coins for abundance, colorful trinkets, custom pens, discount coupons, and holiday greetings. Beautiful bags filled with love and abundance!
Joy or No Joy?
The entire project was energizing. Many B&N shoppers were thrilled to receive their free holiday surprises. They were eager to stop, say hello, or just share a smile. And their eyes sparkled as they opened their unanticipated holiday cheer baggies.
But… not everyone had a joyful reaction. The frazzled shoppers only wanted to avoid the experience. The distrustful people guarded their belief that nothing in life is free and turned down the gift bags. Some people were skeptical, others were annoyed, and still others were just plain angry.
Certainly not all people feel joyous during the holiday season, and that’s okay. The season can generate overwhelming stress. And for some, the holidays can bring symptoms of depression, regret, fatigue, disappointment, and loneliness. Quite simply, not everyone enjoys the holiday season.
I’m not judging. We all have our human natures to deal with. It’s easy to get lost in a bad mood, or caught up in a personal drama. But sometimes we get so stuck in our own habitual choices, that we block out a joyful experience even when it’s right in front of us.
It is said that life is what we make it. By changing our moment-to-moment choices, we can have an unbelievable impact on the quality of our daily life. It’s not so hard to do. After all, life isn’t dependent on the outside world. An experience is just an experience. It’s what you do with the experience that matters most.
About the Author: Want to learn more about how to live consciously, love deeply, and laugh often? Come along with Dr. Annette Colby and learn the secrets to creating the life you’ve always wanted to live! Subscribe to her blog Divine Self! today.
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Such joy, care and effort to make on behalf of folks you don’t even know! Wishing you a beautiful holiday season!
Hello Donna,
Thanks so much for stopping by, saying hello, and sharing your joy!
Moving through our lives, we eventually discover that that gaining peace is all about letting our own essence fill every experience.
“Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, ‘you owe me.’” ~Hafiz
What touches the heart is forever.
Merry Christmas,
Annette