Happy Winter Solstice!!

I can hardly believe we are just a few days away from December 25th, one of the busiest holiday seasons of the year.  It’s the perfect time to take a moment to take a breath… and to look back on all that has transpired in the last year. Having recently taken some time to pause and disconnect from the hustle and bustle, the one thing I have noticed coming into this season is how the simple choices seem to bring the most joy.

As we head into the ‘final stretch’ for those celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and all the other religious and cultural celebrations taking place around the world, I invite you to consider making the choices which feed your soul. There was a time… not that long ago I would be fully entrenched in the season… deciding how many people I could see, the baking that needed to be done, the parties to attend, and feeling stressed about it all. It usually started around mid November and I would catch myself saying “Why do I do this every year?” Maybe it’s because of the pause I took a few weeks ago in early December, somehow this year I’m noticing my choices are creating an expansive simplistic season.

Staying Present

Rather than fall into the hustle and bustle of “OMG I only have a week to get everything done”, I found myself asking “What is meaningful for me today?”, and then choosing from that place.

What I’m noticing is time has slowed down. Especially when my simple choices include:

• Being completely present at the beauty left by the first snow storm. What are you present to today in nature? Are you noticing the crunch of the snow beneath your feet, the stillness of the night, the sound of waves crashing on a beach, the sounds of birds singing their songs?
• Connecting with those who bring me joy, simply because they bring me joy. As opposed to choosing to be with the people in our lives out of obligation. The key here is letting go of my expectation of how others want to connect. This has allowed me to be more creative, leaving voice and video messages.
• Delegating…I don’t have to do it all and truly enjoying the experience of creating which included putting up the Christmas tree and making a traditional Trinidad holiday eggnog. And last and not least…
• Having fun!

The last bullet is the most important… I was at a mall the other day, and Santa wasn’t busy so I asked if I could get a selfie… that made me smile… and guess what? After I took my selfie I noticed four other ‘adults’ having their pictures taken with Santa…yeeaaahhhh the simple choices… the ones that bring you joy might be the invitation for others.

It’s all about the choices we make…

Where do you want to be right now? Who do you want to be with? As humans we tend to create complications in our life when, if we just take a breath, bring ourselves into the moment and choose what’s meaningful, life tends to unfold in ways we could not imagine.

All of a sudden you might notice you have all the time in the world to do all the baking and to see, catch up and spend time with the people in your life, either in person and virtually. Make a list of things that will bring you joy…  as opposed to a list of things that have to, and need to be done.

Time slows down when we make the simple choices. Give it a test run…

Create an AMAZING Holiday Season for YourSELF!

Lisa