Three Ways to Put the Joy Back into the Holiday Season
Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler
art of leaving things undone...The wisdom of life consists in
the elimination of nonessentials. Lin Yutang
As an American mom of three school-age children, I am entering,
as many of us are, the busiest time of year. Sure there are
other busy times, but nothing seems to quite compare to (Dare I
say it?) the holiday season. This is a time many of us enter
with fear and trepidation. The shopping, the wrapping, the
baking, the decorations, the lights, the parties, the preparing
for parties, the clean up after the parties, need I say more? If
you are a woman, chances are you know exactly what I'm talking
about. Perhaps the worst part of it all is the build up of
expectation that the season never seems to live up to. But, it
doesn't have to be this way, however. We can choose a different
path and actually enjoy this time of year for a change.
The first step to enjoying the holidays is to let go of the
expectations. I don't know about you, but every year about this
time I begin to let "visions of sugarplums dance in my head". I
want everything to be just perfect. I get a storybook picture in
my mind of what the holidays should look like. It's a
romanticized version I think I conjured up from some Norman
Rockwell painting that never actually existed. The problem with
expectation is that it limits the possibilities of what beauty
there actually can be.
The next thing we need to do is to decide what is most important
and concentrate on those things. Make choices this year. Don't
try to do every party or event. Go in with a game plan and
decide ahead of time what it is you truly enjoy and focus on
these things. Decide on just a few traditions that make you
happy. And here is the key; say no to the rest. You will be
tempted by all of the wonderful happenings that are going on
around you, and they are all great opportunities. But when we do
too much, we don't really enjoy any of it. Learn to choose
consciously and say no to everything else.
Now, are you ready for the most important part? Once we have
laid this groundwork, we can get down to savoring the moments
for what they are. These can be fun times. Enjoy them. Stay in
the present and enjoy the preparation as well as the actual
events. Just slow down, be in the moment, and savor it as it is.
This is all about conscious choice. Your idea of a fun and
beautiful holiday season may be completely different from mine.
If you enjoy baking for everyone in your family, then by all
means do it. Just savor it. And don't overdo it to the point
where it's no fun anymore. Let go of the impossible
expectations, choose what's most important, and savor what you
do choose. This is the recipe for a fun and joyous holiday
season. Yes, it is possible. Then, take these principles and
apply them to the rest of your life and see the difference they
make. The thing is, "just perfect" can exist, because it already
does. We just need to see it.