The Meaning of Christmas - Like I Know!

Over the last few years, I have begun to realize that a lot of the things that I do at Christmas are just habits. Nothing wrong with good habits for sure, but there's also nothing wrong with taking a look at them once in a while and making sure that they are still serving you. I signed up for an on-line class this summer designed to help me be organized and ready for Christmas. This was a good idea and a good class, but the most important thing I took away from it was that if I need 20 weeks to get ready for Christmas, I'm 'doing' way too much, and 'being' way too little.

Giving gifts is one of the Christmas activities that I'm taking a look at this year. Now, I LOVE getting and giving gifts, more than just about anything, and I don't intend to stop doing either. But I'm not so sure that gifts are what Christmas is all about for me now. I certainly give and receive gifts throughout the year, which is great, so maybe I don't need the stress of finding the 'perfect' gifts for all my family and friends just b/c the retailers are flooding the television and radio airwaves saying that I should. And what if the 'perfect' gift were a letter telling someone how much they mean to me and what they add to my life? Who wouldn't want proof on paper that they were special to someone?

It also occurs to me that the meaning of Christmas might be more about others than about me - ya think?! :-) It's almost too easy to get caught up in the parties and commotion and decorating and wrapping, and forget that there are people who not only won't be buying gifts and baking fruit cakes - they may not be sleeping on a real bed Christmas Eve. Maybe my attention could go to making a difference in someone else's life, not just for the holiday season, but year round. Obviously my work as a Life Coach involves making a difference in peoples' lives, but these are people who already have it pretty darn good, and want to make it even better. Making a a contribution to folks who need the playing field leveled a little could raise the energetic vibration for all of us.

If you have ideas for making Christmas and the rest of the year more meaningful, submit a comment to the blog with your suggestions. Let's create lives together that make a difference! Blessings, Annie

Strange Advice

I have an idea that is going to seem a little strange, or may make me sound kind of obsessive, but nevertheless, I believe it is good advice, and I invite you to try it for yourself and see! As we get just about as close to Christmas as we can get without it actually being Christmas, things seem to get a little more frantic, time slips away faster, and more tasks get left undone (at least in my world). My suggestion is to take some time at the end of each day, maybe with a mug of your favorite hot holiday beverage, and make a list of what went wrong that day. Yep, a list of what went wrong.

Why? Because now is the time to prepare for next year's celebrations. When we recognize the things that didn't flow well this year, we can make a note to change it for next year. If we wait until next year, we probably won't remember that something didn't work until it's too late.

For instance, each year some of my gifts are handmade. As you might imagine, it doesn't really work very well to begin crafting gifts in December! And as you also might imagine, in spring and summer, I'm not really thinking about making winter-time gifts. (Those of you who know me know that I'm thinking about the beach all year round!) But if I make myself a note and keep it in my calendar, on one of those rainy summer weekends when I can't be out napping in the hammock on my deck, I can work on some Christmas gifts in my craft room. And come next December, they will be all ready to wrap and give (provided I can remember where I hid them - perhaps another 'note to self' is in order here?)

Of course, it makes sense to keep a log of what went well and what you'd like to do again next year, too. Were the gingerbread cookies especially well received? Put them on the list to make next year. Did you have a Christmas CD that you loved listening to ? Make sure it gets on the list to be brought out right after Thanksgiving. My husband has a rule that no Christmas music can be played until after Thanksgiving. I happen to agree with him, but boy on Friday morning, I'm ready to roll out Josh Groban or Mannheim Steamroller!

So to review, create a ritual for yourself of making note of what you enjoy and look forward to each Christmas, and what you want to do differently next year. Then you're on your way to making your holidays less stressful and more meaningful. Blessings, Annie

Pausing

After reading my friend and colleague Marcia's recent post on The Elf Line, I wanted to remind my readers, as she did hers, to find ways to make the holidays meaningful, instead of rushing through without giving them any thought. My favorite way to be mindful of the meaning of this season is to pause when my clock chimes a Christmas Carol at the top of each hour. I take a slow, deep breath, imagine love flowing into my body with the fresh air, and then send that love out to a family member, friend, or client. It's amazing to me how hard it is to be still for just that brief moment. I tend to fidget and chase my thoughts around in my head and think of other things to do; in other words I want to 'do' instead of just 'be'. But when I can take that brief respite and really feel the love flowing through me and on to someone I care about, it makes a difference in my day, and I believe in the recipient's day too. Try it next time you hear a bell ring (think "It's A Wonderful Life") or see twinkling Christmas lights or light the Hanukah candles, and see what it does for you.