If the Holidays begin to get you down, Relax and recapture the joy of the season

[dot-matrix]

During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, most of us have a tendency to stress out and forget about relaxing. After all, who has time to relax when there's shopping to do, parties to plan, gifts to wrap and preparations to make for family gatherings?

Even though the holidays are meant to capture the joy of the holiday season, we often lose the true meaning of this special time of year.

One thing to always keep in mind is the spirit of the season. By this, I mean not pushing and shoving in stores or not cutting someone off on the road because you're running late. Take a minute, sit down and relax. Think about ways to spread goodwill among everyone, including family members, friends, co-workers, and (gasp!) even total strangers.

Spreading goodwill is perhaps the most direct means to having a joyful holiday season and recapturing its true meaning. Remember the last time someone complimented you? Didn't it make you feel a little or a lot better about yourself? Think about how you might make someone feel if you complimented him or her. Keep in mind that both the giver and the receiver end up feeling happier and better about the world. Even more importantly, when we spread goodwill, we increase the odds that those we've touched will then spread goodwill to others.

So, make a list besides the one with all the presents you want. Play Santa and try these ways to spread holiday cheer.

Do something nice for those less fortunate than you.
Always be on the lookout for opportunities to give someone a compliment, even strangers.
If you're waiting in line at the store, strike up a conversation about the weather. If the person next to you is elderly, chances are he or she will welcome the warmth of your voice.
If there is one parking spot left, let the other person have it.
If you have to go through a tollbooth, pay for the person behind you.
If there's a parking meter that has expired, why not add the extra quarter to prevent someone from getting a parking ticket.
If a clerk at a store has had a long day or you've noticed he was dealing with an irate customer, say something nice. The holiday season is probably the hardest time of the year for him.
Organize a group of people to go caroling at a retirement home or rest home. Some of these folks may have been forgotten by their family or do not have any living family members.

Who knows, spreading the holiday spirit may become a year-round habit. And what a better world it would be.
Besides spreading goodwill, there are other ways to recapture the holiday season and relax at the same time.  Try these and activities and you certainly will catch the spirit of the holiday season.

Take the family on a car ride through neighborhoods that have gone over and above decorating their homes. Sometimes, you can park and walk through the neighborhoods and sip hot coffee, hot cocoa or hot apple cider.
Go to your church's or any churches Christmas play or attend one at a local school.
Organize a group of friends and or family and go caroling in your neighborhood.
Rent some holiday movies, pop some popcorn and sit around a warm fire with your family.

Whatever it is you decide to do to recapture the spirit of the holidays, always remember that the holidays are for goodwill and cheer. If you remember that, you should never lose your holiday spirit.

[Phillip Dampier]

I am one of those who always ends up feeling overwhelmed by the holidays because there is never enough time to deal with things before the holiday is here and gone.  Of course, this month was one of the more ridiculous for me - a washer that has decided to develop an attitude problem, the basement that decided to slightly flood, soaking carpet and padding, gutters that needed to be cleaned, a Christmas tree that required high level negotiations with the State Department, and a lot of Xmas decorations that I am still getting around to putting up, while the house is littered with said boxes and plastic containers.  The very act of transforming the home for the holidays becomes a major ordeal, all with the recognition it gets torn down in 3-4 weeks.

Whew....  I am glad I am not doing any baking otherwise I would have lost my mind by now....

[BayCityJohn]

The Truth About Christmas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9pn6V-o2Wg

[Penthesilea]

Trying to embed the vid here...


Folks, see this video before scrolling down and reading on!


[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9pn6V-o2Wg[/youtube]

[Penthesilea]

The Truth About Christmas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9pn6V-o2Wg

OMG John. I hadn't seen this last year. So I'm very late with replying to last year's Christmas season, but also very early in commenting regarding this year's Christmas season  .


I absolutely LOVED this. Loved the song, its lyrics and the pics you chose to go along. I hadn't seen it was made by you, thought you only provided the link. I did notice the many cowboy related pics, but thought nothing of it, except one reminded me so much of Ennis. So the end (the last two pics) was a big surprise. And what a fine one.
Thank you John.

[ifyoucantfixit]

       That was absolutely glorious.  I didnt see it last year either..I am glad I can watch it over and over
this year..I need it, for some reason.....   thanks John.             janice

[Meryl]

Thanks so much, John!  I'd never heard that song, and it is very true!  Lovely video. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

If the holidays begin to get you down, watch A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original cartoon, not the Jim Carrey movie). 

[Kelda]

John - I love it!!!!