Christmas is my favorite holiday. Ever since I was a kid, the memories I hold dearest and closest to my heart are all from the times my family celebrated Christmas together. I grew up in the Philippines and in that country, Christmas lasted three months. Decorations would be up as early as October and there were these giant ornamental lanterns called parol, that was a staple Filipino decoration during Christmas.

The best part was Christmas Eve. We'd have noche buena, which is a tradition Filipinos inherited from our Spanish oppressors (hey, they didn't just rape and pillage our people, they brought good things too), and this was essentially the biggest feast we would celebrate on Christmas Eve. Imagine American Thanksgiving but on Christmas Eve; and instead of turkey, we'd have an assortment of Filipino food and a whole wheel of cheese.

After the feast, we'd go caroling and in my neighborhood, the tradition was all of the kids would go around to all of the houses to carol together and collect cash in return. At the end of the night, we'd split our earnings with each other. Imagine American Halloween, but instead of costumes, we walked around with homemade musical instruments and instead of candy, we got cash. Finally, it would be simbang gabi which means church in the evening. This meant the whole family would go to church service around midnight and celebrate Christ.

So early on, the experience I had with this holiday was warmth, love, family, money, good food & the story of Christ. The holiday was truly holy. It felt like a holy-day in every sense of the word.

Given that upbringing, I naturally found myself curious and fascinated by the story of this human who supposedly existed more than 2,000 years ago and went by the name of Jesus Christ. What made this guy so special that thousands of years later, humans around the world still celebrated his supposed birth?

I'll be honest. This blog won't even attempt to answer that question. The answer to that question is a lifelong journey. If you're reading this and you're someone that's been burned by religion, I would not blame you if you decide never to go on that journey. But if you decide to keep reading, my intention isn't to convert you, but to connect this story of Christmas to your wellbeing and the way you see the world now. Whether you believe the story is true or not is not in my control. Quite frankly, I don't really care if you believe the Christ story really happened. What I hope to create is a connection between the arc of the story and the arc of your life.

So for those who aren't familiar, the Christmas story is the nativity story. The nativity story is a refugee story. It's about a married couple, Mary & Joseph, running away from their home country because their own government wanted them killed. As the story goes, Mary became mysteriously pregnant while still a virgin and she was about to go through the world's first virgin birth. The government wanted them killed because the King at that time heard that Mary's baby was going to be the King of all Kings. So the order was given that all firstborns be killed. In Mary & Joseph's search for refuge, they found a humble manger and Jesus Christ was eventually born in what was essentially a farm house with all sorts of animals and needless to say, everything likely smelled of animal poop. Not the fanciest setting to be in for the person who was supposed to be the Messiah.

This story is even more striking because, again if you don't know, Jesus Christ is supposed to be one-third of the God trinity. Christ is supposed to be all human and all divine. Christ is supposed to be God-incarnated.

So God, the creator of the cosmos, the Alpha and the Omega, the One who precedes time itself, this being with all of her/his/their, omnipotence and holiness and mystery and presence; decided that their grand entrance into human consciousness would be through an infant, with refugee parents trying not to be killed, in a dirty ass manger, in a foul smelly ass barn.

This is the story of Christmas.

Again, whether you believe this actually happened doesn't matter. What strikes me is the messages it brings. There are a ton. But one message I'd like to focus on is this idea of being childlike. If God herself took on human form as a refugee infant, to experience human life, then what I'm gathering is that we are also invited to be childlike in our approach to our human life.

What would it look like to have a beginner's mind as we take on our next challenge?

In meditation, one key component is to have a beginner's mind every time you sit for your practice. The message is to witness your overthinking, your judging, your distracting as something you've never experienced before. And in that witnessing with childlike curiosity, you may create more space between you and your racing mind.

In the professional arena, we are invited to have a growth mindset. Carol Dweck, a Stanford professor and author of Mindset, she tells us that “In this [growth] mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. The growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way—in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments—everyone can change and grow through application and experience.”

The story of Christmas is a deeper invitation into a growth mindset. I would submit that it's pointing us towards who we actually are as humans. It's pointing us to our original wholeness. Our original way of being.

This is why I am always asking my clients, "What would it look like to be playful and curious with this next mountain you're climbing?"

I am pointing to their original wiring. I am pointing to their capacity to be creative.I am pointing to their childlike wonder.

This is available to you. To me. To all of us.

My friends, whatever holiday you celebrate, may you create some space to rest in childlike wonder in the next couple weeks.

From my family to yours, Merry merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Fiercely loving you,

Jomar

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