Judy's and Sally's Blog

Merry Christmas everybody, People seem to like my stories, I can hardly get through a training program anymore without telling a few. This story is true and I used it in a newsletter this Christmas. (Maybe I will put it in my next book. that’s the one I am writing for Oprah so I can get on the show with my LAMA Technique) Here is a sample. After you read it, share your “how did you handle hard times at Christmas?” Inspire us all. We all love to hear a real true hard luck story with a happy ending. Please, will you write one for us all? Maybe I’ll put your story in there, too. I know you have one….put it down on paper.

Dear Judy,
Everybody is so plugged in about money. Is that all there is? Everybody talks about it but like the weather they don’t do anything about it. Here is the Christmas Season, we are supposed to be Happy but all I hear is “I hate this, and I don’t have that…I have to pay this, my check is too small and my pocketbook is empty.” “They” blame the President, the mortgage companies and the banks, etc. yada yada. You get it? Don’t you? How can we have the Christmas spirit when it’s hard out there and everybody is scared?
Yours truly,
Down and out in Beverly Hills

Dear Down and Out,
It is hard out there and that is why you have to look in here…..(point to your heart) Do you know the only Christmas my kids remember is the one we made candles ? (yes, they were big in the 70’s. too, we also had madras blankets over our bare light bulbs) They remember the fun of using old crayons to color the wax we put in empty milk cartons, the fun we had and it cost practically nothing. We decorated a rubber tree plant with the old lights from the year before and went to Grandma’s for Christmas Dinner.

I was making about $108 a week with three kids . I was one of those single, working MOMs they all talk about. We got some food stamps and my eldest is still embarrassed about that. Anyway, it is still the only really meaningful Christmas absolutely all of us remembers vividly. Why is that?

Because we didn’t stress over money, we worried about if we had enough old crayolas to color the candles with multiple colors. We were too broke to worry about it and so we created a mood of giving. We created a plan of making gifts. It’s always hard out there for somebody, so instead of hoping “they” will all change, you do it. YOU CHANGE and you will see that the world will reflect it immediately. Your happiness doesn’t’ come from out there, it never has, it never will, it always comes from in here, (point to your heart again.) So start pointing and stop complaining that the world will not align itself to make you happy. Bring the HAPPY to It. What’s your Christmas memory? Let us all know how you made it in tough times, it may be an inspiration to someone. M e r r y C h r i s t m a s – Happy Holidays