Take a moment and look around you.  No, I’m not talking about the bag of half eaten gingerbread men on the passenger seat. I’m talking about the person to your left that is holding a cardboard sign with a plea for help written on it or the lady pushing every one of her possessions in a shopping cart.   The shelter up the road in need of donations. The need for love surrounds us.

The Writing Spirit of Christmas Present should inspire you to take a closer look at the things around us that have faded into the background of the familiar scenery of our everyday lives.

For this assignment I want you to take out your writer’s notebook and make a list of all the ways you can make a difference in someone’s life; whether directly or indirectly. Is there a neighbor or family member that can use a few extra dollars?  A nursing home or hospital with a person who needs to know someone, anyone, cares about them?  How about teaching your child the importance of giving to others and the true meaning of Christmas?

After you make your list, go through it and write down all of your favorite Christmas movies or books that deal with similar situations.  A few off the top of my head are It’s a Wonderful Life, The Christmas Shoes and A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Stop by your local library or Blockbuster and bring them home.  As you go through them write down all of the parts that touch your heart.  You will fill your notebook with inspiration and ideas for future writing projects.  The ideas that you are the most passionate about usually bring out our best work; editors and readers can feel that passion.

Now make a plan to share some of that love and encouragement. It doesn’t take a lot of time or money to share the Christmas spirit.  You’ll be surprised how even the smallest of gesture’s can make someone’s life a little brighter, especially during the holiday season.

Here’s an article I recorded for Ancient Faith Radio last year entitled, A Gift to Remember.

You can also read the article here.

Visit The {Writing} Spirit of Christmas Past here and be sure to check back to see what the future holds for our writing!