At this time of year there is so much hustle and bustle, so much busy-ness, so much commotion from parking lots, and shoppers, and piped-in music.  But then, at about midnight on December 24, it all comes to a halt.  There is a silence that blankets the community.  A stillness settles as we all come home, and find peace.  The stores close, the streets are mostly empty, and the only music we hear outside is from nature.  This is a time of rest.  It is a time for love and gratitude and gathering our thoughts.  It is a time to reflect, to appreciate, to share, and simply to be.  It is a reminder to us that this peace is within us at all times, we only have to notice it to benefit from it.  Today, and every day, may we each and every one of us experience peace on earth.

We can give money to charitable causes, and we can volunteer and give our time.  But even if money is in short supply and demands on our time are high, there something else we can give: blood.  Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood.  Yet only 5% of the eligible US population donates blood in any given year.  For nearly 5 million people who receive blood transfusions every year, each donation makes a difference.  And now there is evidence that giving blood is beneficial for the person who donates as well.  Preliminary studies from the American Medical Association show that we can lower the risk of heart disease by giving blood every six months or so.  This is because many people take in too much iron, mostly from eating red meat.  Excess iron can create free radicals in the body, speeding aging and raising the risk of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.  So donating blood is good for our local community blood supply, but it can also be good for our bodies as well!  The American Red Cross has more information.

Now you can be fashionable, and make a statement that really makes a difference.  That’s the philosophy behind the “I’m Tired” eco-friendly bracelets.  These fashion-friendly bracelets are made from recycled tires (get it?) and metals.  They retail for just $10, and $5 from each sale is donated to one of 10 charities that you choose!  These charities support issues that we are all “tired” of: AIDS, Alzheimers, animal cruelty, diabetes, child abuse, autism, cancer, world hunger (my favorite cause), heart disease and global warming.  The bracelet represents the cause of your choice.  The band is made from recycled tires, and the bead is made from recycled metal, with “I’m Tired of” and the cause emblazoned on it.  Wear one, give one, support a fabulous cause and give a meaningful yet inexpensive holiday gift.  Or give a bunch!  It’s a great way to look good, feel good, and do good.

You probably know that I am a big supporter of Plan USA.  I have a sponsored child, a beautiful little girl in India named Swapna, whom I have never met, and yet totally adore.  Plan USA is one of the more wonderful non-profit organizations that I have come across.  They help children all around the world in so many ways.  And now they have a program that helps teach children the meaning of giving.  If you’re looking for ways to introduce children to concept such as global awareness, social responsibility and charitable giving, you will love this.  KidsGive has partnered with Plan USA to bring the child into the actual process of giving to, and understanding the development of, children’s humanitarian projects around the world.  Karito Kids makes a wonderful gift, and every product comes with a special code.  When children visit the website and enter the code in the online activation process, they can direct 3 percent of the retail price to one of four issues impacting children: health, food, homes, or school.  Children can also make a difference by playing games on the Karito Kids website.  As they play the games, and learn about other cultures, they earn points.  With the points they can vote on how Kids Give applies its financial support.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the USA.  One of our traditional dishes served alongside the turkey dinner is sweet potatoes.  Whether you make them roasted or mashed, or serve them in a pie for dessert, sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat.  They are an excellent source of both vitamins A and C, they’re full of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, and iron.  Despite the “sweet” in their name, sweet potatoes help stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance.  Sweet potatoes are also good for your liver.  And they are delicious!  Do you have a favorite sweet potato recipe?  Or another dish you love to make for the holiday? 

Hypnosis is for fun at magic clubs and stage shows, but in reality, hypnosis can be a very effective tool for healing.  Hypnosis is a state of heightened awareness in which suggestions for change and healing can be more easily absorbed.  A Harvard Medical School study shows that the fractured bones of patients who received regular hypnotherapy actually fused at an advanced rate.  Just six weeks after the break, the bones appeared to have been healing for eight and a half weeks!  Another study showed that the incision wounds of women who were hypnotized before and after breast-reduction surgery healed more quickly, and the women also had less pain.  You can try self-hypnosis yourself at home.  My friend Dick Sutphen is an author and world renown hypnotherapist.  You can learn more about hypnotherapy and see all that he has to offer on his site: www.dicksutphen.com

The holiday shopping season is upon us.  Here are some tips to give great gifts:

-Make a list of everyone you need to buy gifts for.

-Write down a couple of ideas for each before you get to the store.  Don’t think “you’ll know it when you see it” because you won’t.  At least give yourself some direction where to start.

-Think about that person’s style – how they have their home decorated, what kinds of clothes they wear.  Buy gifts to suit their style, rather than your own.

-Think about how that person spends their time, and where they like to shop.  Go there for gift ideas, talk to the salespeople for suggestions.

-Think about giving experience gifts – and bundling small gifts together.  For example, a certificate to a movie theatre for tickets and popcorn, and a book about a famous director for the movie fan.

-Consider wrapping the gift in a gift itself, go green to show creativity and save wrapping.  For example, wrap the makings for a pasta dinner in a reusable grocery bag.  Wrap some kitchen utensils in a pretty kitchen towel.  Wrap an antique pin in a scarf.

-Think about what people “want” as much as what they “need” – for example, a business person always needs a pen – but you could get them a really elegant pen that they would love but wouldn’t splurge on for themselves.

-Include gift receipts with the gift in case they want to exchange.

-Keep some general “all purpose” gifts on hand for times when you need a last minute gift.

We’ve already gone green at home – with our reusable grocery bags, compact fluorescent light bulbs and energy efficient appliances.  Now we can bring our good habits to the office, too.  Here are some tips to get green at work:

-Go paperless.  Whenever possible, keep files on the computer, rather than on paper.  This also helps keep clutter under control!  Review correspondence onscreen rather than printing it out.  Send e-mails instead of letters.

-Save Energy.  Put computers, printers and fax machines into sleep mode whenever possible.  Even better, unplug them, or turn the power strip off, at the end of the day.  Save energy, and also save money!

-Turn on a new light.  Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, or use an LED desk lamp that consumes minimal energy.  Keep lights off in unoccupied areas.  Increase the amount of natural light in the office by keeping curtains and blinds open – this also helps to improve productivity.

-Recycle.  Make it easy for everyone to recycle papers by providing recycling bins.  Look for recycled paper for printing.  Use printers that can print double-sided to minimize paper use.

-Bring in the Green.  Potted plants help to filter the air and boost oxygen levels.  They also help to remove pollutants from the air, and add liveliness and color.

-Make Green a Policy.  A study from the Society for Human Resource Management showed that 43% of companies have no environmental policies in place, even though many companies have shown improved employee satisfaction and a stronger public image as a result of implementing a policy.  Share tips with your co-workers, and post ideas.  Get everyone on the same page.

When I was at the Book Expo America this year a small blue book with a Tiffany blue cover caught my eye: “The Spiritual Rules of Engagement: How Kabbalah Can Help Your Soul Mate Find You” by Yehuda Berg.  I enjoyed learning about Kabbalah in the context of relationships, since I believe that life is all about relationships.  The ancient wisdom really resonates with so much of what we need in our life today.  It talks about how love is not about receiving, it’s about giving, without expectations.  And knowing how much pleasure your partner gets from the act of giving, by receiving you are giving – so now you are both sharing with each other, and that is a beautiful thing.  Love is about learning and growing together, and building a strong relationship by working on it together.

Life is all about relationships.  Are you aware of your emotional relationship with money?  Financial advisor Brent Kessel says that financial success and security is “not about the money.”  Instead it’s about our relationship with money, and when we can understand how that operates, then we can take action to achieve our financial goals.  In his book, he outlines eight financial archetypes and explains how typical ingrained behaviors and beliefs about money can prevent us from being truly financially free.  For example, some of us are caretakers, or savers, while others are pleasure seekers.  Some people are idealists who place greater value on creativity or compassion than on finances, and others obsess about building empires.  “It’s Not About the Money” really offers a fresh approach to money, providing information and resources as well as exercises and meditations.