How do you imagine your holiday season? Everyone is coming to your house to celebrate and I bet you have a picture in your mind of how it is all going to go.
The kids will act proper, your obnoxious cousin is going to be on his best behavior, your grandma won’t pinch your cheeks and your mother in law will not rub it in your face that she is the better cook. Does this sound familiar to you?
You might even be telling yourself, that this is the year everything will be picture perfect.
I mean Andy Williams promises that “hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near.” All because “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” I’m certain Andy Williams wouldn’t lie to us, right?
All around us is a reminder of how the perfect holiday season is supposed to be. We fill our head with ideas of what perfection means to us and we expect it to only happen that way.
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. ― Alexander Pope
However, expectations aren’t always realistic and can leave us upset or stressed by the end of the holiday season.
The only way to truly find joy is to let go (of expectations) and be here in the moment.
Your mindfulness challenge for this week (and until the holidays are over) is to be here for the Holidays.
I have created a Be Here for The Holiday reflection page, that you can print or download.
Before everyone starts invading your home, take a moment and sit. Make the following agreements with yourself:
I will let go of expectations.
Tell yourself that no matter what happens everything is how it was meant to be. If you need to, repeat an affirmation like “I release all of my expectations and invite everything to just be.”
I will show loving-kindness.
We all have them, the difficult people in our families. If you notice that they are starting to rub you the wrong way, take a deep breath (or as many as it takes) and release it out. See if you can find the good things about this person to focus on, then practice compassion and kindness towards them.
I will be grateful for my blessings.
In the throws of all the chaos, take a break and do a gratitude check. How grateful are you to have all this craziness in your life? Scan the room and mentally list all of the things you are grateful for.
I will be here.
Most stress occurs when you think about the future or the past. Rarely, when we are living in the present moment and accept what is, do we feel stressed. Make a commitment to yourself, that you will live in the moment and let life unfold in front of you.
When the day is done, notice if you felt different during this time than other holidays.
Write down what you noticed about your day on this week’s reflection page.
Other articles you may have missed this week:
Mindful Gift Giving Ideas for the Minimalist
Mindful Gift Giving Ideas from Small Businesses
How to Buy the Perfect Gift Using Mindfulness
I’ve been a busy girl!!!
If you have not already signed up for our weekly mindfulness challenge but would like to, please do so here. I would love you to be a part of this mindful tribe!
Peace & Love, Ela
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