Simple tips for a peaceful holiday season!

True confession: over the past few days there has been a lot happening that, at times, had head my head spinning.

But then I took a deep breath. And got to thinking, soon we'll be celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas. Some of these celebrations involve gift-giving. So, in the spirit of the holidays, here's a few recommendations:

1. Give yourself the gift of more peace by unfollowing @realDonaldTrump on Twitter if you are following him. Ninety-nine percent of his tweets are false or divisive, or both. Don't worry, you won't miss important news by doing this. Speaking of which...

2. Give yourself the gift of being informed. Get in the habit of getting your news from reliable news sources. For instance, a daily newspaper that has a legitimate news team and clearly separates news from opinions. It's no accident that one of  Mr. Trump's chief targets is the news industry, which he regularly accuses of spreading "false news." If you're watching television news, steer clear of any news cast that runs segments of people yelling at each other. That's not news. That's divisiveness. Speaking of which...

3. In an effort to give the gift of peace, refuse to give in to the temptation to add to what is already a volatile level of division in the US and the world. Don't hang around divisive people. Steer clear of political quicksand when posting on Facebook or other social media. Posting your political opinions on Facebook usually won't convince anyone. Speaking of communication...

4. Give the gift of listening. Practice being an active listener. Be eager to hear what your friend is saying. Nothing enhances friendship like actively being engaged in a conversation. But at least half of that conversation, under normal circumstances, should involve being quiet and listening to what your friend has to say. While you're listening, watch body language for non-verbal clues. Here's another, very important way of communicating...

5. Become an encourager! I recently listened to a podcast by Rick Warren in which he made a simple but profound suggestion. He said get up every day and ask God (if you believe in God) to help you find a few people that you can encourage that day. It can be the cashier at the grocery store, the clerk behind the counter at the convenience store, the person sitting next to you on the subway, the bus driver on your bus, your neighbor or friend. The only caveat is that it has be genuine. If you can sincerely look at someone and tell them, "Good job!" or "Good morning!" You've just encouraged them. Speaking of which...

6. Give the gift of yourself. Go out of your way to meet people who don't look like you or think like you. This is probably the toughest gift to give. For example, volunteer at an after-school program in a neighborhood where most families don't have as much as you. Look for opportunities in your community hosted by cultural organizations or churches/other faith-based groups to get together and learn about other cultures. But be prepared, you'll probably wind up receiving more than you may give.

7. Most major religions of the world teach the importance of getting outside of ourselves. That it's better to give than to receive. To look out for each other.  Because, ultimately, what happens to the least of us has consequences for all of us. (You could probably make a case that, from God's point of view, there really is no such thing as the "least" of us. God simply doesn't have a ranking system.) Having such an inclusive world view actually promotes mental, spiritual and physical health. Speaking of which...

8. Here's something from Nicholas Kristof. It's his annual gift-giving list. More accurately, it's a really good list of alternatives to traditional gifts. These are gifts aimed to support non-profit organizations around the world that are doing amazing work in very cost-effective ways. Please take a look. It'll do your heart a world of good!

If you have any other gift-giving ideas, please feel free to comment and share them!

Photo Credits: top: 123greetings; middle afrocentriqueAZ; bottom history.com