a holiday challenge

The holidays are here. Any moment now, the gate will rise and we’re off and running. Planning, cleaning,  shopping, cooking, wrapping, inviting, attending, primping, decorating, trimming the tree, creating the tablescape, traveling, readying the guest room, taking in the holiday releases at the theatre, catching the annual holiday TV specials, attending the special holiday events, office parties and neighborhood parties, making your list(s) and checking it twice, more shopping, more cooking and even more.

Too many of us run this holiday marathon and by the time we reach the new year we’re exhausted, we’ve spent more money than we should have or maybe even more than we actually had, we’ve depleted our personal resources and worst of all, too many times, we’re kind of disappointed. How did this happen? Well, too many people get so busy that they miss the moments that lead up to the holiday. We were so busy working to get to the finish line that we missed out – we forgot to enjoy all the other days that got us to the big event.  Yes, memories are made on the “day of”, but your life is made up of all the moments of each and every day.  So pay attention to EACH day. Pay attention to the small moments. Make sure to carve out some time, at least 1 hour each day, to rest, to concentrate on some activity (not holiday prep!) that allows you to recharge, and to reconnect with your loved ones. Focus a little less on doing and really concentrate on being.