This Happened Sunday
Two nights ago I didnât recognize myself. I got home from a wonderful weekend at the beach to find that all the packages that had been delivered were left in the rain in my driveway instead of on the porch. Many of my Christmas card envelopes had gotten stuck together from the moisture and I had been shorted 25 of them.
As I sat there putting labels on envelopes and trying to pry apart envelopes without ruining them I heard myself say, âI hate doing this. I donât even know why I send Christmas cardsâ followed by a few words I canât even write down. Â
Now, this is not me. I think all year about the photos on my Christmas cards. Itâs my way of sharing a joyous hello. I love opening the cards from friends. Â
Finally, my husband had to tell me, âOK, thatâs enough nowâ to shake me awake from my funk.Â
Perfection. Holidays inspire perfection. And that inspires expectations. And that inspires unmet expectations. And that inspires let-down and stress. We get these preconceived notions in o...
What are you going to remember about Christmas? â The Happy Holidayâs Plan
What do you actually want to happen this Christmas? Are expectations already making you tense? After all we have been fed for two months via television, radio and print what the âperfectâ Christmas should look like. You know you donât want to feel loneliness, fear and anxiety. Be the creator of what you want.
The Happy Holidayâs Plan
- Discard the goal of the magazine or TV perfect holiday. Perfection is not a strategy to happiness. Actually, it is the antithesis. Seeking it distances us from the intimacy of kinder and gentler moments.Â
- Discard expectations. They are an excuse for not welcoming and accepting the people we love just as they are â that includes ourselves.Â
- Create a vision of what you want from this holiday. Imagine it is January 2nd and you are reflecting back on Christmas. What will have happened for this to have been a great holiday? Were you present with people who are most important to you or did you commit to so much preparation busywork that you did not ...
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