What kind of holiday elf are you?
Are your buttons polished, your toys built, and your cookies baked?
Or are you running around with your tinsel on fire? I saw one of those elves recently. She almost took me out in the Target parking lot as her SUV careened madly around a corner. I understand. There’s a lot to do these days to get ready for Hanukah, Christmas, and Kwanza.
Whether you are hosting or ghosting those you love, take a moment to consider these 5 Tips for a Smooth Holiday.
Slow down
Unless the tree is on fire, slow the heck down. There is no award for rushing. All it brings is frayed nerves reflecting a disorganized nervous system. Take a moment to stand or sit still. Enjoy a deep breath or ten. Long exhales. When your body is calm, start moving again. Very slowly.
Simplify
The greatest gift of the holiday season is to enjoy yourself and those you’re hanging out with. You don’t need as much as you think you do. Nor do they. While you’re slowing down, take a few moments to look at your gift lists, decorating plan, menus, and schedule. A few minutes of organization helps you see clearly. Now cut a few things out. Make sure sleep isn’t on that list. It’s a good idea to be well rested before you start holiday mingling.
Stop
What to stop? So many options. Stop spending so much, running around, adding events to your schedule. Quit eating that batch of cookie dough or scrolling every moment through staged social media. Whatever it is, you know you are overextended.
Slowing down and simplifying are the precursors to the “stop.”
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you just sat down and relaxed? Imagine that. Slowing down, simplifying, and actually stopping your particular version of busyness.
Could the holidays arrive even if you didn’t do everything on your list?
Sacred
Whatever your system of meaning, you’re invited to drop into the holy moments. Entering every gathering and quiet reflection with conscious intent. Claiming the opportunity to celebrate until you are love soaked and light filled. Imagine radiating the generous energy of love to everyone you meet. Everyone would benefit, especially the beleaguered check out clerk and your grumpy Aunt Nancy.
Santa
I know not everyone believes in Santa (gasp!) nor celebrates this mythic archetype hijacked by society’s materialism. Regardless of where you are now, I encourage you to seek the magic and delight of this character. It’s a shared delusion that offers adults the playful opportunity to join children in believing in the unseen.
It’s fun. Until it isn’t. We were sharing stories about Christmas at Thanksgiving dinner this year.
“Christmas was more fun before Santa died.”
My offspring has a point, even if expressed in youthful bluntness. Her age cohorts around the table nodded sagely as if it were a great truth.
Reflecting on her younger years, we realized that we had a lot of fun with Santa. Even the year we knew she knew. I still remember tucking her in one cold night in December. She looked up at me and asked, “Mom, are you Santa?” I had done my best to be truthful, treat my kid with respect at every age, and offer sage wisdom during those developmental transitions. It took me a hot minute to gather my response as we stared at one another.
“Do you really want me to answer that question?”
She smiled and shook her head, “No.” Crisis averted, I kissed her goodnight. When I reached the kitchen, I did a silent jig. We were in the clear for one more magical year. Next December, we all happily played the Santa game. I do recall seeing a twinkle in her eye on Christmas morning. She knew she was playing and she was having fun. So were we.
I’m still the only one in the family who gets excited when NORAD announces “Santa was spotted flying over Zimbabwe!”
“He’s in Zimbabwe!”, I squeal. They tolerate me which is a new version of the game of magic, delight, and absolutely true and generous love.
I hope you can enter the magic during your holiday celebrations.
The world can always use more people who are happily and consciously sharing the joy of being together. One big messed up, beautiful human family celebrating all sorts of traditions. And embracing those who are struggling too much to even notice what’s good.
Sometimes hum bugging isn’t all it seems.
The Sacred Season of Light holds everything. Every joy and delight. Every tragedy and horror. Every delusional idea and each clear thought. When we are still enough, slow enough, and silent enough, we notice it all.
Life always shows us how to be a gift to each other in every moment.
Pay attention. Love generously. Receive graciously. Not because Cookie the Elf is watching or Santa is checking his nice and naughty list. Savor each moment because it is a wonder to be alive.
Slow your roll. Simplify your days. Stop the nonsense. Savor the Sacred. Embody the wonder of Santa.
I wish you peace. I hope you know you are loved or just choose to love yourself. I invite you to give a bit more of your self to others. They’re waiting for you. And, open your eyes so you play the magical, sacred game with joy.
I’m with you.
Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.
Rushing about like an elf with your tinsel on fire doesn’t bode well for a happy holiday. When you are harried, stress increases and activates the nervous system. More adrenaline and cortisol leads to more anxiety, disrupted sleep, and all those yucky physical sensations. Rushing in the midst of all the holiday errands and preparation leaves you making more mistakes and being less productive. Put all that behind the wheel of a car or hustling about a shopping mall leads you to become a grumpy elf. You know that and really didn’t need research to confirm it’s a good idea to slow down, breathe deeply, and stay in the present moment. Ho ho ho.
Learn the one essential skill that allows you to face any challenge with confidence, sturdiness, and inner calm.
More than a technique. It’s a game changer.
In September, I’m returning to the Temples of Humankind in Damanhur, Italy. It feels like an understatement to claim that this is a place of power, mystery, and majesty. Yet, I’ve found this to be true for myself and those I’ve met who’ve traveled within the extraordinary to the Temples and the community of Damanhur.
One cool Spring morning, I stepped on the treadmill at the gym looking forward to walking a few miles. Recovering from an injury, I had to walk at a moderate pace so I had brought my copy of What Is Enlightenment? magazine to explore. I always found something to inspire me within this publication focused upon consciousness, culture, and cosmos.
Stress is a natural experience in life. It’s often viewed as a doorway to disruption of wellbeing, peace of mind, and a clear navigational path in a challenging situation.
I’m a bit of a news hound these days. As one who hasn’t watched a newscast in years, I’m surprising myself. Ordinarily, I wait for the news to come to me. And it does. When something is important for me to know or respond to, I hear about it. Kind friends, clients, my husband, or a random stranger share a soundbite which cues me to look into a situation further. I’ve been very comfortable with this level of engagement for years now.
In the midst of our country’s woes, I’ve got Lucinda Williams singing in my head.
“You can’t rule me
you wanna go and tell me what’s good for me
you wanna tell me what I’m payin’ for
Well, the game is fixed, it’s plain to see
I ain’t playin’ no more”
I drove through a hail storm today. It began gently, offering a musical accompaniment to my journey. Intensifying, the hail noisily demanded my attention.
