It’s beginning to look a lot like the holiday season! Everyone is making a list and checking it twice, making sure they have all the gifts for the most important people in their lives. But when it comes down to it, the gifts don’t matter at all. It’s that time of the year where we need to remember to be thankful for all that we have.

Remember that it doesn’t matter what gifts you are holding at the end of December, but the people you get to hold close to your heart. It doesn’t matter what gifts sit under the tree, it matters about who is sitting around the tree with you. Life is all about remembering what you are thankful for. And remembering that you need to count your blessings. Stop counting the amount of your debit card and start remembering to look at the family pictures on the walls.

As much as we want to shower everyone we love with gifts, sometimes that just can’t be done. Just remember that it’s more important for everyone in your life to feel your love by your everyday actions than by the price tag of something you give them. I think during this holiday season everyone needs to look back on the life that we were given and make the best of it.

If you wake up everyday, eat breakfast, get in your car and drive to work, you already have got three things not everyone has. Just remember this season to make sure remember what really matters. Pay it forward. Adopt a family. Do something that brings out the holiday spirit in everyone around you. Buy a family a christmas dinner they never could have afforded, go to inner faith and see if there are any families that need christmas presents. Make a kids christmas morning and have them smiling from ear to ear. As much as you love seeing your favorite people smiling when they unwrap a gift from you, just remember that they care more about things than just that. Show them everyday how much they mean to you. Compliment them when the do something great, just be there for them, remind them everyday that they are enough.

Just remember that you can show everyone how much they mean to you everyday, a gift isn’t going to do that. Material items aren’t what people look for. They look for how you make them feel. I hope everyone has a happy holiday season and remembers to hug all those close to you a little tighter!