A List for Santa – and One for Yourself

It has arrived again, the Christmas season and all it entails: the anticipation of get-togethers with family and friends, shopping for special gifts, and the festiveness of holiday lights and decorations. Along with the holidays, however, can come the occasional frustration – long lines and impatient shoppers, indecision on what to buy, and perhaps trepidation on those very get-togethers that signify the season.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed or worn out and just can’t find that Christmas spirit, consider the following “time-out.” This short and easy exercise in appreciation will honor your feelings while keeping you focused on what really matters.  

Grab a piece of paper or open a new document on your computer and revel in those grouchy feelings. Make a list of your complaints, whatever they may be. Anything goes – body aches, venting over that reckless driver, the snail’s pace of the checkout line – it’s all valid. This is your opportunity to get it all out in a safe, non-judgmental way. The only feathers you’ll ruffle are your own!

Now, with the bad stuff aside, start another list on a new page. Take a few minutes to shift gears and consider what you’re grateful for. What has gone right with your week? This could be a positive outcome at work, or the satisfaction of finding the perfect gift or recipe to share with the receiver. Maybe it’s as simple as feeling invigorated after a daily walk. Think of everything, even if it may seem insignificant.

This second list is a gift to yourself, a reminder of the advantages you benefit from. Who are you thankful for? What or who has helped you or given you a new perspective? Even breezing through the checkout line at Meijer is cause for celebration! You may find the process of creating this second list to be a mood-changer.

Lastly, take one list and put it in a drawer. You get to pick which list goes where. Picking your list is possibly the most important thing you’ll do all day.

Take the other list and tape it up on your bathroom mirror. Read the list in the drawer once a week, month or once a year, just to remind you that it’s safe and sound. Read the other list every day.

The daily list will determine what you notice, how you interpret what you see and the story you tell yourself about what’s happening and what will happen.

Where will you choose to focus your attentions?

Our wish list for you this season is to enjoy all the gifts the season brings, material and otherwise.

All about perspective: Do you see slippery roads or beauty scenery?