It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

It’s hard to believe the holidays are upon us. With Christmas only 4 days away and the New Year just around the corner, I must admit I catch myself wondering ”where has the time gone?” Even my 9 and 11 year old have asked if I had noticed that the weeks were going by so quickly!


For me, simply the thought of what goes on in these last two months has me feeling exhausted and anxious. There are parities with the family, get-together’s with friends, winter parties at school (I guess they don’t want to offend anyone by saying holiday or Christmas), and work luncheons and dinners. Maybe even a neighborhood party, although we have yet to be invited to one of them, but I do know of others who attend them in their own neighborhoods! There’s shopping and baking, eating…

and more eating, parades and shows, decorations and lights, and then throw in some snow…just to add a touch of excitement!

And boy do the people start coming out of the woodwork. You know how it is, your fathers second cousins bothers’ wife’s mother-in-law’s…sister, is hosting a party on Sunday and would really love to see you and the kids!!!! Ok, not really, but there are times that when I feel so stretched that it actually feels a little like that!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

It’s an extremely busy time of year.

Many feel it is full of hype, stress, and expectation.

And there’s also large number of folks who suffer depression through the holidays. Perhaps it’s the memories of a loved one who has passed or a divorce that has the kids away this year, maybe times are hard and you just don’t have the money to pull it off. I have heard more than once “I would love to just get out of town and skip the entire season”.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

It’s a magical time of year.

For many it is filled with wonderful memories, anticipation, and child-like excitement.

And there’s also a large number of folks who are extremely generous through the holidays, going above and beyond to help those in need, donating money and volunteering time to a favorite charity or organization. There are even people out there who wish it could be Christmas all year round…I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

The truth is that both sides are reality. So how do we make it though this time of year with the bottom being our focus (ha-ha, I mean the second part of what I have written, not literally our bottoms…although that is something we do need to be cautious of!)

It’s Balance

It may be a bit more challenging through the holidays and there's a good chance that others may criticize your decisions, possibly even those closest to us. After all, each of us has an expectation of what we think the season should be like, who we should spend our time with, and how we should be spending our time. We know what’s important us and we would love for everyone to be on board with it. And if life were like a TV program, it would all work out perfectly!

But it’s not!

I know my experience is not too different from others…my parents are divorced, my husband’s parents are divorced, and of our combined 8 siblings 4 come from divorced families, and there is one who is also divorced. We’ve got a lot to work with!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

The best gift we can offer is simply being present. Showing up and enjoying the moment, spending quality time with those we love and care for most. When we make this our priority, the other stuff just doesn’t seem that important any more. When it comes to our family celebrations it’s not about that one particular day, but rather a focus on being together.

How freeing it is to know that you can sit back, relax, and be in tune to what’s going on around you, knowing there’s nowhere else that you need to be.

So when you catch yourself feeling a bit stressed, placing expectations that don’t need to be there, or worrying about things that are out of your control. Shrug your shoulders, put a smile on your face, and sing out loud ‘til your convinced…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

fyi...you can do this year round!

Today is a Great Day!

I have this routine that I do each morning as I drive to work. It’s a habit I started years ago and it helps to get me “geared-up” and I also do it to start my day on a positive note.


I focus on my intentions for the day and how I can best prepare myself for the full work schedule I’m about to tackle. It’s been a very useful tool, keeping me focused on the excitement I have for my clients and my job, it helps me to feel more energized and motivated, and it also assists with getting the creative juices flowing.

What am I doing?

I have a mantra that I repeat to myself each day. I’m sure I look like a crazy woman talking to myself as I’m driving down the road…boy if they only knew! But it is so important that I talk out loud because it helps me to be aware of exactly the message that I am telling myself…

"Today is going to be a great day. God’s blessings are chasing me down and over taking me. I will have success in everything I do. I have a schedule full of clients that I love to be with and they love to be with me. Today I will communicate clearly so I am aware of the needs of each of my clients and I will use my expertise and creativity to best provide them with a great and achievable style (I am a hair dresser for those who might not know). I will do my best to not participate in gossip and to not judge myself when I make mistakes."

But what I have found by doing this for some time now is that I truly believed that I was giving myself a great message, but in reality, parts of my message are more focused on what it is that I don’t want, or my message is leaving things to chance, rather than me being responsible for making it happen.

Today’s going to be a great day…

Really, then what are you waiting for? I realized I was saying this to myself and I had already been awake for four hours. Why didn’t I decide right when I woke up that indeed today is a great day! I have a choice, am I committed to having a great day or will I wait to see how all the circumstances play out before I make that decision?

I will not participate in gossip…

This sounds VERY difficult to me, but if I were to say, “I will speak kindly of others and acknowledge the good intentions they have.  Or, today I will be open and accepting of those around me”. These statements are positive and they clearly state what my intentions are. They will make others feel good about themselves in turn make me feel proud of the choices I am making.

I will not judge myself…

Yeah right, and I know I’m not alone in this boat! We are our own biggest critics. We expect and demand so much from ourselves. But with (a lot!) of practice, we can even turn this one around. I started playing around with messages like, “Today I will be open to leaning from the choices and decisions that I make. Everything that I do today provides me with important information so that I can be better tomorrow. Today I will be my best. I am excited about all the opportunities that today will provide.”

What a difference these statements make. When I slightly change them and focus on what I want, they become empowering. They make me feel excited…I can’t wait to get each day started. I am excited about my life, I have a great family that I love to be with and they accept me even with all my quirks! I am excited to get to work, I get to hang out with my clients and have fun. I am excited that I am surrounded by so many people who are there to support me.

TODAY IS A GREAT DAY!