Mindfulness Mondays: Being Present

Suki Claus

Wishing you a Merry (Mindful) Christmas!

Love, 

Lisa & Suki

This week I will remember the best gift of all is being present

Mindfulness Mondays

An affirmation is a positive statement that guides our thinking and emotional mindset.  

Every holiday season has its share of bah humbugs, long lines, delayed packages, snowed out concerts, ...

You can make the intention to rejoice on a daily basis about the small things that are wonderful, magical, peaceful, and good.

I CAN REJOICE IN THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS

Christmas "TO DO" Review

The smell of freshly baked cookies, a sparkly clean kitchen, stocked refrigerator, Christmas music, ...  Oh, you must still be visioning your ideal Christmas again, sorry to interrupt.

Many of us lose that charming Fa La La when we begin the part time job of preparing for Christmas.  Adding a Santa-Sized list to our already multi-tasking life can be overwhelming.  Authors Robinson & Staeheli composed this list for their workshops and book entitled Unplug the Christmas Machine


Grab your Ho Ho Pen (and some yummy hot cocoa)  and lets get started . . . 

Christmas To Do List - (1991) Unplug the Christmas Machine

1. Masterminding the gift list 
2. Inviting friends to the party 
3. Buying stocking stuffers 
4. Cooking for the party 
5. Making or buying stockings 
6. Cleaning for the party 
7. Making travel plans 
8. Shopping for the party 
9. Helping out at church 
10. Cleaning up after the party 
11. Helping out at school 
12. Buying or cutting down a tree 
13. Shopping for gifts 
14. Decorating the tree 
15. Making gifts 
16. Helping with Christmas activities at work 
17. Buying wrapping supplies 
18. Wrapping gifts 
19. Making or buying decorations for the house 
20. Mailing gifts 
21. Family Advent preparations 
22. Cleaning up after Christmas 
23. Planning holiday menus for immediate family 
24. Writing thank-yous 
25. Getting kids to write thank-yous 
26. Putting away decorations 
27. Disposing of the tree (putting artificial tree away)
28. Doing special grocery shopping for immediate family 
29. Doing holiday baking for family 
30. Getting ready for relatives 
31. Taking down outside decorations 
32. Cooking and shopping for family reunions 
33. Planning family reunions 
34. Preparing for holiday travel 
35. Writing notes on cards 
36. Putting up inside decorations 
37. Planning a holiday party for friends 
38. Volunteering for charity 

Other_________________________

Step One: Review- Which tasks are primarily your responsibility? 
Step Two: Record- Which tasks elicit the "bah humbug" feeling?
Step Three: Remember- Which tasks most closely align with your value system? 
Step Four: Reflect- What small changes to your list would create greater meaning this year? 

Thanks for the terrific sharing of Christmas memories last week.  Please comment with any "aha moments" you experienced in reviewing the Christmas list.

Seasonal Stress Busting: Visioning a meaningful Christmas

Walk down any street here in Oklahoma and you will notice that many trees still have their leaves, lawns are green, and some days it’s even warm enough to leave your jacket at home.  But walk into any local retail store, and Shazaam- its Christmas! 

If the countdown makes you sweat you might need to readjust your approach to the Holiday.

First take a moment to visualize your ideal Christmas. 

• Where are you? 
• What are you doing?
• Who are you with? 
• What is your overall mood?

If you are like most people your fantasy Christmas involves a clean house with a fire burning, the special people in your life gathered laughing with a joyful heart, and you are the picture of contented calm.  At a recent seminar for the Edmond Chamber of Commerce a participant shared that in her fantasy she was in Hawaii with her immediate family and someone was cooking for them.  She won’t really be in Hawaii this Christmas.  In a past workshop a woman laughingly shared that every year she pictured her family singing Christmas Carols around the piano.  She realized that might be a problem since she doesn't own a piano and no one in her family knows how to play (or sing for that matter).

So what fuels these fantasy holidays?  Messages are delivered directly to your mailbox, inbox, and living room every day in the form of advertising.  We are shown image after image of stylish homes with a roaring fireplace and happy families.  We are sold on perfection, and for most people the reality is far from the fantasy.  Let’s stop the subliminal competition to make this year the BEST for our family (including mom) and reset our intentions to make it meaningful. 

Now pause for a moment and consider past Christmases. 
What made your heart sing? What was a special memory? 

• Time with family and friends?  
• The meal or the gift exchange?
• Volunteering? 
• Increased spirituality or religious participation?

THAT is your new focus.

In the upcoming weeks we will develop your realistic holiday vision into an action plan that less about the stress, and more about what you REALLY want for Christmas.