As we enter the season of gift-giving, we might think about the greatest gift of all: to empower our loved ones to be all that they are, and can be.

In the very touching Amazon commercial above, the custodian’s peers recognized he had a talent and passion for singing, so they rallied to fan the flame of his heart. My favorite part of the video is the look on the woman’s face at the end of the video while the fellow is singing. Her reward  in observing her friend follow his deep joy is compelling.

All too often, we want other people to follow our vision of how we think they should live. We want our children to go into the family profession, or marry the person of our choice, or we want our husband to keep his workspace tidy so we can feel good when we look at it.

Yet true love sees our dear ones’ lives through their eyes, not our own. When we can get excited about what makes them happiest, we become divine cheerleaders and healers.

When I first entered the spiritual path, I recognized Jesus to be a master teacher, and I taped a small picture of him on the dashboard of my car. My Jewish mother was not exactly pleased as punch to share her rides with him. She would make fun of him by tapping his picture and asking, “Were you cold out here last night Jesus?  If you like, I will knit you a sweater.”

After a while I decided that my affection for Jesus was not worth bugging my mother (especially since she paid for the car). I took Jesus off the dashboard and placed him in the glove compartment. I figured that if he could raise himself after three days in the tomb, he could handle a few nights in my car.

A few weeks later, I walked into my mom’s house and I was shocked to find a small photo of a Catholic saint propped up on the dining room table. I could not believe my eyes!  Never before had I seen such a picture in any Jewish house, let alone my own. “How did that picture get there?” I asked my mom.

“I saw it at a yard sale and I thought you would like it,” she answered with a smile.

Although I had been learning about spirituality and even teaching it for years, that was the most compelling lesson I had ever received in unconditional love. My mother was willing to step out her belief system to support me in what was important to me. The memory of that moment has guided me for my entire life since that day.

Take a moment now to think about who has reached across their belief system to support you in what would make you happy, even if your vision didn’t match their life or their values. Now take another moment to consider who in your life at this time you can support by fanning the flame of their joy and passion in ways most important to them.

Your support may take the form of a material gift, as in the Amazon commercial, or you might send a love note, a thank you, or a statement such as “I see what a great _________ you are, and I’m behind you to make your dreams come true.”

In graduate school, I passionately wanted to become  a trainer in group dynamics. At the completion of participating as a student in a class led by my most esteemed mentor professor, she took me aside, looked me in the eyes, and told me sincerely, “I look forward to one day teaching with you as my valued peer.” That statement sent me to the moon!  Her words were worth more to me than a million dollars. The person I respected most believed in me. Since that time, I have striven to give similar encouragement and empower me to my friends and students.

We are all here to live the best we can up to our divine potential. We all have extraordinary gifts to offer. We are all the person standing on stage, with our loved ones sitting in the audience, holding up a sign, “Sing!” That is their gift to us. When we deliver our joy and talent to the world, that is our gift to them.

I wish you and your loved ones the most soul-rewarding holiday season, and the best, brightest, new year ever.

I believe in you.