Let the “magical” time of the season bring forth the “Beautiful Star” that YOU are!
Yes, it is the holiday and if you’re anything like me the true meaning can easily get lost in the details. The stress of overloaded to-do lists, seemingly never-ending holiday obligations and the family members that cause you anxiety can put a big damper on this magical time.
But this year can be different because you can choose to be different!
The holidays can be a wonderful time for each of us to stop and pause to see what matters most to us. This can be an inquiry of how to be more present this holiday season with our families, with our faith, with our community, with what is important to you. This is really all we can do…get out of the emotional drama, the physical exhaustion and the need to “perform” this holiday season.
We all wish that we can make changes in society so it doesn’t seem so exhausting, complicated, and commercialized, but the truth is we can only change ourselves. We can set boundaries around ourselves to ensure our own mental health and we can set realistic expectations for ourselves.
So I invite you to pause and write down how you want this season to be different for you.
Shall we start?
Decide what it is that you love and do those things that make you happy, present, and excited…joyful.
Many of us take on a huge amount of responsibility for our families’ happiness…this is one way we perform to meet others needs, to receive acknowledgment, love, acceptance. Take some time to pray, meditate on your underlying motives for the things you feel you ‘have to do.’
Let the motives go and allow an openness into your heart to receive a message. Write it down and allow that message to come to fruit.
Second, pace yourself, if you reach Christmas all exhausted because you have been acting like a frantic elf-lets stop. FEEL what your family expects of you….do they match up or is it all the “should’s” running your day. Time to get realistic with the amount of time you do have and what is more important, release the “should’s” and bring in the “desires.” The true spirit of the season.
Third, if you meditate, pray, have some solitude – Keep it up! Let the world go rushing around while you stay calm and centered. The world needs the energy of calm, centered,prayerful/meditative people. When you are in that space, you release that into the world!
Fourth, keep up on any exercise you are doing…Grab a yoga class instead of a spinning class if you are needing to mentally recharge. Grab a boxing class instead of a yin class if you are feeling the frustration and anger rise up with holiday chaos. Go for a walk under the stars and reconnect with the Holidays.J
Lastly (and this one I have struggled with) don’t spend money you don’t have!
What is most important and what your family will share with you in the future will not be the presents they got but the Christmas movies you watched on the sofa with homemade marshmallow popcorn. The family meal seated altogether sharing, laughing and being with one another. Going as a family to cut down a tree or pick one out, going to Midnight mass on Christmas Eve, singing Christmas carols in the neighborhood or just in the car with one another. Doing the traditions that speak most to you…that bring joy to your heart and not what you buy.
Spending time with those that we love is the real gift we give each other.
So think about the things you REALLY love about the holidays and do those. Let go of the rest…let go of the past…set boundaries…release underlying motives that don’t serve you…and bring forth the real YOU this Holiday Season!
Merry Christmas,
Happy Hanukkah,
Happy New Year,
Amy
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