Welcome! I hope you enjoy reading a couple posts while you are here. Please comment below. For more ideas, on how to thrive in all your many roles, click on the tags at the end of this article.
Let's consider some ways to thrive in this pandemic-affected holiday season.
It doesn't get any stranger than this year's planning for holiday celebrations.
We actually have an excuse if we don't want to go to the family party this year.
This year's typical holiday season will be different, even as we approach the limits of our patience with 2020. Christmas lights have popped up earlier than ever, and our kids would almost rather be in school than remote schooling.
Today's post is simply about ways and ideas to thrive any year, but especially this year, as many of us have pared down plans for winter celebrations.
Here are some ideas we discussed with our spiritual community group this past week, with a few extras:
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| Actual screenshot from my alarms on my phone |
Work that Phone
Set alarm for 8 pm to write add to an ongoing note of gratitude and/or "heaven hope" [see photo of my actual phone alarms]. I have been doing this since July of 2019, quite consistently, and I now have written over 4500 words of gratitude and 2100+ words of hope about heaven. These words have been an source of LIFE for me in the midst of some very trying times. Check these two books out: With regard to gratitude, I love the book, Gratitude Daily by Nataly Kogan. Regarding heaven, I can't plug the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn enough. Two great holiday reads (or listens on audiobook).
Encouraging Family Time
Specific noticing of or encouraging of a particular family member each night. Rotate a different family member each night, and watch the body language, especially the youngest ones, as you genuinely and specifically validate their hard work, positive impact on the family, or their efforts to grow. If you have children, they will keep you honest, and this may well become a consistent tradition.
Craft Some Cards
Old school cards - create and mail them! Grab those supplies the kids brought home for remote learning, or go crazy in the dollar store and get a few supplies and make some cards. Thank yous to children's teachers, to someone who was kind to you this year, or just homemade holiday or Happy New Year cards is an investment in time together, and practice writing kindness, app free! Before beginning this, if you have kids, talk about working hard, and set a goal, like 5 or 10 cards to make and write by hand. Celebrate hitting or going beyond the goal. If the recipients are in town, drive to drop off the card, and get some much needed time getting out of the house. Dress up like a mail courier or in some other "official role" to give the recipients cards or awards for "Best Friend" "Best Zoom Background" or some other appreciation.
Cookies.. Enough said
Decorate and deliver cookies. Same as the cards idea, just more sweet and edible. I learned how to make an icing bag for frosting cookies out of parchment paper, and that was fun this week.
Phone (or Text) a Friend
Text one friend or family member a day… or work your way through every member of your family, your work team, or group you are part of, be it a workout group, a class you are taking, or a small group from your spiritual community. The holiday are rough, and kind specific words are POWERFUL.
Plan a Party or a Vacay and Start SavingSet a goal for a vacation or other fun time after COVID is more under control.. set up an auto deduction to a savings or other account to fund this vacation or fun time. This is how I have saved for vacations for years, along with all the return to school expenses, and lots of banks have a way to set up what I call "sub accounts" that are just additional savings accounts to which you can schedule autotransfers every month. Here are some examples of my subaccounts I've set up: Professional licenses, summer vacay, homemaintenance, automaintenance and insurance, summercamp and sports, christmas, sewer (gotta love that yearly bill), gifts and parties (when there's no virus, my sons have a lot of parties to go to!), Marriage getaway, and clothes/beauty. Even a few bucks a month add up, and if you have steady income, you won't notice the money you've funneled out. If things are tight, you may simply save up for a special take out dinner or a coffee with a friend, or put money from a side hustle into those sub accounts
The "Three Ses"
Practice 20 minutes of solitude, silence, and stillness per day (all at once or in chunks). Earplugs are a great help to this practice, and you can do it almost anywhere if you give yourself time. I love this idea from John Eldredge: If you are out driving, resolve to take 1-5 minutes of silence every time you put the car in park. Just breathe, or say a short prayer phrase. Every time the car goes in park. This is hugely important when the stay at home stress increases, or the chores and dishes pile up, or your housemates get on your nerves. Sitting and breathing are in your control.
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| Huper by Joshua Earle on Unsplash |
Beauty
Look at one or a couple of beautiful photos from a site like this one from Unsplash. Zoom in...linger... Or, hold an old family photo per day and discuss with those you live with or a good friend: Why is this photo precious or beautiful? How does it make you feel? What memories does the photo evoke? Beauty has the power to heal, we need to simply hold our attention on it... Which is not easy in today's world and today's culture of distraction. Fight the good fight and bring beauty back. Oh, and put the phone on Do Not Disturb while you do this.
Bible Time
Finally, I appreciate my buddy Chaz recommending 1 Corinthians 9 as a biblical basis to fight pandemic fatigue: Run to win the prize. Don't get distracted, train yourself, and ensure gratitude is a big part of what you are focusing on. The impact on you and those with whom you share your gratitude will be deep and wide. The Bible is simply fantastic for finding inspiration and wisdom. If you want to get your young kids interested, try the Bible App for kids during bedtimes on a tablet... lots of fun. The adult Bible App has a simple devotional daily with a verse of the day, and short video applying it. Sometimes I will "project" or cast my phone's screen to the family TV and we'll talk as a family about a verse or chapter.
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