Wow! Can you believe we are coming into the final weekend before Christmas and the last week of 2018 is almost here, too??? If you are anything like me you are wondering where the heck this year went.
I want to congratulate you if you have all your gift shopping and holiday prep neatly wrapped up. YOU ROCK! If you don’t have it all done (again, like me), you may feel harried and hungry (grab a healthy snack – or some cocoa). Every year I tell myself that NEXT year I am going to start earlier and do less and enjoy the season more. Then, before I know it, the calendar says December 10th and panic sets in.
I make my list(s). I check them over two and three times. I plan out the stops. I get to the first store only to discover I left the lists at home.
Living in NW Montana means that home is 40 miles from the store, so it doesn’t make sense to “run home” and get the list. I kick myself and then chuckle and do the best I can without my list(s). I also realize that this forgetting is a symptom of not being in the moment.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I say a little mantra to myself: It’s ok. It. Really. Is. Ok.
My central nervous system begins to relax and I slow down. I sit an extra minute in the car and listen a bit longer to that Christmas song on the radio.
I feel grateful for the gift of no list. Now, I can flex my improvisation and creativity muscles.
I go about my errands and shopping in a calmer state of mind. My mini meditation helped me find my center, my peace. I bring this up because the previous posts have been about meditation. Practicing meditation doesn’t make me a perpetual sea of perfect calm. Oh, no, I still screw up, forget &$@!#, and wig out about stuff. BUT, meditation has enabled me to let go of those less-than-stellar moments more quickly and to find my peaceful center more easily.
If you are new to meditation or not, I hope you find this link helpful in connecting to your peace. I recorded this five-minute meditation just for you. If you need a mini-break to find your peace during the season, please enjoy it as often as you like.
May your holiday season be filled with love and happy times!
