As we prepare to enter the Christmas season, I'm pondering now more than ever the need to be organized and effective in running my home and business so that I can savor precious time with family and friends this year. I also want to place an increased emphasis on my personal, spiritual preparation for Christmas -- finding time to do this means being more intentional in my work and better about embracing free time to enjoy my loved ones.
It feels challenging sometimes not to approach Christmas as a series of "to do" lists. My particular faith background helps me to keep this as a sacred period of prayer and preparation, but even if you are not a person of faith, I hope you too will find time to embrace the weeks leading up to Christmas as a time for emotional and spiritual connectedness, not mass consumerism. I was reminded of the necessity of this in my own life yesterday when I spent a few mid-morning hours with my teen at the Mall on "Black Friday". All around us were families and shoppers, intent on finding those ellusive bargains. What was I doing there? In fact -- crazy as it sounds -- I just wanted to spend a few hours with my son. Perhaps I should have dragged him on a hike or bike ride, but instead we spent some great time window shopping and chatting. So as counterintuitive as it may seem, we found a moment of peace and joy amidst that craziness yesterday.
My goal for the upcoming month and in leading up to new year is to reclaim a sense of the organization and control that has been missing in my world during the past six months when my busyness has led me to a feeling of disorder. Perhaps you've had these times in your own life: moments when you were so busy that you could barely keep on top of the basics.
I know the personal rules that help me to reclaim a sense of "wholeness" -- you likely know yours as well. Now, the trick is enforcing them.
'Tis the Season.
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