The Crazy World We Live In! Blog

Happy Holidays...Now that I've previously advised everyone to "ignore" holiday stress, I'm about to go in the opposite direction: PAY ATTENTION TO THE HOLIDAY and make it your best. Here's how...

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A lot about the holidays feels more like ritual and routine than about really celebrating. Certainly recent news stories about hostility among shoppers and an up tick in stealing suggests that the "holiday spirit" may be in danger.

Yes, it's exhausting, and stressful and the relatives can be a real pain at times. But the holidays are also a time to celebrate the spirit and the end of another year.

Celebrate the spirit. I don't say that lightly. In our modern day life, we actually spend very little time thinking about our human spirit. And often organized religion doesn't help us get in better contact. Too often, unfortunately, religious practice has boiled down to following a bunch of rules.

No, I'm talking about your SPIRIT. WHO YOU ARE. The sum of your parts are GREATER than the whole. YOUR SPIRIT. Still confused. Try this. Sit quietly for a minute. Without distraction. And just contemplate WHO you are. Not WHAT YOU DO, or what TITLE you have, like mother, lawyer, policemen...but who you are. What do you know about yourself? What would you be like if you were to be perfect? What is meaningful to you? What is that special something about you...your spirit.

At first, you might not even have any great revelations. But that one minute you actually spend with yourself can start you on a journey of great discovery, comfort and strength.

So this holiday -- celebrate your spirit. Take the time to get to know who you really are.

The second part: the end of the year. This is about death and rebirth. This is about renewal. Shucking off those things that didn't work and looking to a new beginning. Again, it takes contemplation. What went right this year? What went wrong? How could you have done things differently? Where are you in your life -- your work life, your home life, your sense of personal development. You need to take stock. And think about what you want to see next year.

Yes, celebrate the spirit and the end of another year....if you really apply yourself, not only will these be happy holidays, they will help set up a very happy new year! And best wishes.