Last week I walked home from work. I normally bike, whizzing by the people, cars, restaurants, anticipating the ensuing relaxation. But when you speed by, you miss the details. So after a rainy morning, I was pleased the weather permitted me to take a leisurely stroll home.

From my office to my house isn’t exactly Park Avenue. Sometimes you see things. Hard, real, but true things. Among them, graffiti is a frequent. I love street art, but whenever I see spray-painted tags, I view it as an existential crisis in the form of vandalism. But there was something different about this particular night.

Give. That’s what the graffiti said on the side of the building outside the subway. I took a moment to take out my phone and snap the photo you see above. I love the holidays because they remind me of this message. The late Zig Ziglar used to say, “you can everything you want in life so long as you help enough other people get what they want.”

When you make giving a mantra, your life will change. Whether it’s your time with a significant other or the kids, a song for a friend, or just a larger-than-average tip at a restaurant, life is full of opportunities to create value for others. And, when you train yourself to look for these moments, you begin to feel better about yourself.

I’m so grateful to you, my wonderful reader. And I hope you’ll share this message with the world, in whatever way you feel most comfortable. Even if it’s just giving one person a hug, that’s one more joyful moment that you’ve brought into existence.

Merry Christmas,

Brian J. Hertzog