It’s
common for people to be under a lot of stress during the Holiday Season, but it’s
supposed to be an enjoyable time isn’t it?
How can you lower your stress level and really enjoy yourself? You can
find the usual advice about holiday stress here and here. But my solution is different and not often proposed, but it’s how I
approach the season and I’m much happier since I adjusted my attitude.
My
proposal is to begin to turn the holiday back to what it used to be. Originally the holiday was to bring light to
the darkness of winter, cheer ourselves with the promise of better things to come,
and celebrate that promise with friends, family and the community. Modern society has turned Christmas into a
celebration of consumerism; big business has a lot to do with that. But they’ve convinced a lot of people that
the celebration is about what we are going to get, and the competition of who
can find the best gift or throw the best party.
Most of
us in America, those with decent jobs anyway, have everything we need. Many of us have way more than we know what to
do with. So here’s a novel idea, instead
of giving people something that will end up in the closet or being re-gifted,
why not give a donation to a worthy charity in their name? If Christmas is about the spirit of giving
what better gift than helping people who are truly in need?
Big
business will hate it, but wouldn’t it be a calmer, nicer holiday for everyone
if we gave to those who needed help rather than adding to our own
materialism? It will take time and lots
of people changing their attitude to effect a real change in society. But imagine the Friday after Thanksgiving as
a relaxing family day, no brawls over TV’s at Walmart, no fights over parking
spaces, just football and leftover turkey. OK, it’s a fantasy, but it's mine and
I love it. This is how I celebrate the
holidays and I’ve been much happier since I started living this way.
PS.
Here’s a link to a cool new way to add light to your holiday. (thanks to my
friend Marianne for the link)
Today’s Action
Item: Make a contribution to your
favorite charity.
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