George S. Chua l December 11, 2024 l Business Mirror
THERE are people who find no joy in many situations, including the Christmas season.
Perhaps it is a great idea to talk about the nice things that happen during this time of the year. The following are the top five on my list and not arranged in any particular order.
First is the wonderful weather! This is the start of the best time of the year when the weather turns a bit cooler and the rainy season takes a break. We are all spared from the sweltering heat and get to enjoy the cool evening breeze. With this milder temperature we can enjoy having dinner outdoors and a more pleasant round of golf and other sports activities.
Second is the cascading effect of the 13th month pay. Unleashing this together with the annual bo-nus given to high performers results in more disposable income to spend. This seasonal increase in purchasing power adds to the festive atmosphere where retailers have nicer displays, clearance sale and other promotions. Do you also notice that as people have more money, they tend to be happier and in a better mood?
Third is the back-to-back Christmas parties and events. Everything from Christmas golf tournaments, office parties, class reunions and family get togethers nearly on a daily basis. Seeing your old family and friends, officemates and classmates gives you a chance to catch up on each other and lots of photos to remember the occasion. With the extended family and friends you get to meet new peo-ple, some of who may have the same interests as you do or may even be a celebrity!
Fourth is the perfect excuse to do anything! You need to make up to someone, break the ice or make the first move, Christmas is a great reason to send a gift, call someone, make an invite or schedule a visit. Your chances of a more positive response is probably not going to get any better than during the Christmas season. Not only do people tend to me more generous during Christmas, they also tend to be more forgiving! This is also a golden opportunity to buy yourself a gift without to much criticism from your spouse, provided you also get her something nice! You can also indulge yourself in doing something you have always wanted to do.
Fifth is the opportunity for spiritual renewal and cleansing. Perhaps we think more about our mortality the older we get and start rethinking about our priorities in life. Setting our affairs in order and doing what is right and leaving a positive memory of our lives. Having a clean conscience will make us sleep better at night and prepare us for when it is time for us to move on.
Merry Christmas and God bless you all!
*** The views and comments of Dr. George S. Chua are his own and not of the BusinessMirror or the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex). The author was 2016 Finex president, 2010 to 2020 FPI president, an active entrepreneur in fintech, broadcast, media, telecommunications, properties and a regular member of the National Press Club. Dr. Chua is also a professorial lecturer 2 at the University of the Philippines Diliman and BGC Campus, a trustee of the Finex Foundation and the vice chairman of the Market Governance Board of the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. Comments may be sent to georgechuaph@yahoo.com or gschua@up.edu.ph.