With the holiday season fast approaching, I can already sense my level of
anxiety rising as I know a surge of extra thoughts and "to do" tasks are at hand.   It's so easy to get stuck somewhere between the usual daily tasks of life and the longing for a joyous holiday experience for my family.  In years past, I often cringed when certain holidays would come around because I felt the vast distance between where I wanted to be and where I was, which usually ended up short of my goal.   Some holidays would come and go so quickly that it seemed like I didn't get a chance to explain to my kids what that holiday was even about!  Then, like clockwork, I would vow to myself, "never again", declaring that next year was going to be different!   Let's just say I vowed a lot!

 

It's mind boggling to know that although our mind processes roughly 7,000 thoughts a day, we can have only one thought at a time!  I think it's fair to say that our minds are full, full of thoughts, that is.  But, do you ever feel like these thoughts are just floating around somewhere in the invisible realm above us?  Countless of thoughts just swirling around and around just waiting for that random selection in which one haphazardly is chosen and we hope to get to work on it? That is, of course, until another thought rudely interrupts?  There's a quote by Brian Tracy that says, "Hope is not a strategy for success".  This tells us that having all the good thought intentions in the world alone couldn't make a bit of difference in affecting any desired changes.  It's like a car without the gas or a pen without the writer.  Without action, thoughts will remain just thoughts.

 

Practicing mindfulness for me has meant paying close attention to creating family experiences that bring about connection to one another.  Here are three ideas of ways that I have bridged the gap from wishful thinking to making the holidays more meaningful.

 

1. Being mindful of what's important to you
Something magical happens when thoughts land on paper!  It sounds so simple and trivial that I still have the natural tendency to mistakenly commit my list to my mind.   The truth is, great things are accomplished by the aid of simplicity.  Begin your lists with answering questions like:

 

· Do you want to make it to that Christmas Carol play this year?
· Do you want to make sure you take a tour of Christmas lights?
· Do you want to limit holiday visits and/or expectations this year?
· Do your kids know the words to Silent Night?  How about the story of Thanksgiving? 

 

Whatever it may be, let me encourage you to begin your lists today and begin setting this in motion.  Including a lively family discussion will get your list going!

 

2. Being mindful to express what you mean to one another
About a month before Christmas, spend a little individual time with each one of your children and ask them to write a letter to each one of their siblings sharing things they appreciate about one another.

When our kids did this, they wrote about how grateful they were to have that person as a brother or sister and why they felt that way.  They also wrote about what they believed was the other person's special gift or talents were.  As their gift to one another, they included two service coupons to redeem.  It was a service like, "I'll clean your room for a day", or "I'll serve you during a movie night" or "I'll take over your chores on Saturday."  It was written on fun, festive paper and decorated with stickers.  We then rolled up the letter and tied a bow around it and under the tree it went.  After church on Christmas Eve, they read their letters aloud.  I can't tell you how truly magical and joyous this occasion turned out to be.  It was heartwarming, esteem building; it was inspiring, uplifting, and a creation of a beautiful cherished memory.

 

3.   Being mindful to turn on your family's senses
I believe our minds gravitate and respond favorably when our built in senses are activated.  I think this is why Thanksgiving and Christmas are the favored holidays among most.   Within my own home, I purposely set out to trigger my family's sense of sight, smell, sound, taste and touch.  Not only do you get extra doses of happiness but by doing so you dramatically add to the ambience of your home for the holidays. For a moment, close your eyes and remember your holidays from years past.

 

· Can you see the beauty of snow, the twinkling of lights, and the goodwill towards men?
· Can you hear the festive music, the chiming of the bells, the children's excitement?
· Can you smell the scent of cider or the cookies baking in the oven? Try baking some cookies and have a candle lit when your kids arrive home from school today - see if their senses speak to them.
· Can you taste the delicious turkey dinner that's been roasting all day? 
· Can you touch the beautifully wrapped gift or feel the warmth of a crackling fire?

 
Being mindful of the experiences you want your family to have this holiday season, will build upon the bonds and atmosphere in your home!