List in hand, I ducked into one of my favorite box stores—Canadian Tire—intent on finding aisle 25 and a pack of lightbulbs. Two steps past the carts, though, I was whisked onto “Christmas Street”: Autumn's plants and patio transformed into twinkling magic, a cheerful mechanical Santa waving hello. I kept walking—until the next display stopped me cold. A whole holiday village, tiny trains circling to soft music, parents and kids standing shoulder to shoulder, just…pausing. No purchases. Just wonder. I lingered, breathed, and let it fill me before heading back to my list.

The Mindful Holiday Season

From work windups to tables full of friends, from game days to late-night scrolling, from mall blitzes to family plans landing all at once… ’tis the season of too much to do and not quite enough elves.

Energetically, we’re moving from autumn’s Metal element—abundance, appreciation, recognition, value—toward December’s Water Element: reflection, calm, inner wisdom. The solstice on December 21 invites a quieter current. You don’t have to stop; you can simply soften.  ( See 5 Seasons Repatterning Metal / Water)

I like to think of this as the season of the heart—acceptance, love, kindness, and compassion taking the lead.

There’s a generous hum in the air right now. If we tune to it, it tunes us back.

Try this:

• Taste: Notice how pumpkin spice quietly gives way to gingerbread and holiday spice. Savor the way a home-baked cookie somehow tastes like a memory. Let “a little more special” be enough.
• Listen: Hear the ebb and flow of crowds and traffic. Beneath the bustle are shared feelings of the season, humming worry. What do you tune into? Hold a small candle in your heart for strangers—your steady presence helps more than you know.
• Wish: Bless complete strangers as you pass—better weather, smoother traffic, the right timing. Notice the single parents doing the math and magic. Send them a quiet miracle from your heart to theirs.
• Marvel: Admire the snow’s soft choreography. Appreciate the neighbor shoveling, the crews clearing, the staff keeping lights on through long holiday hours.
• Slow: What you notice is what you resonate with—and what you resonate with is what you broadcast. Choose your station. Let it be gentle. 

Set one clear intention for your holiday season. Write it on paper or a phone sticky note you’ll actually see. Your noticing will create a simple magic more than you expect.

If this season brings stress or sorrow—if relationships feel tender or thin—please don’t carry it alone. Holidays can brush old bruises, so reach for a hand: coffee with a friend, book with a counsellor or therapist, or a Life Repatterning session with me to gently shift your frequency - just the act of scheduling tells your system, “Help is on the way,” and pressure often eases the moment you do. Tell the truth about what hurts and what you’re hoping for; journaling may also help. 

I’m here to support—just reach out.

In the meantime, let the little things find you. Pause. Taste. Listen. Marvel. Wish. The season will meet you there.

With love and light 

 Carolyn 

Life Repatterning Coach