When the holiday rush turns everything upside down!

This is the week I usually feel the pressure of the season the most though not so much this year due to the Covid Lockdown.  The realization that I will never get the 100 ‘good things’ ideas from Martha Stewart magazine done is finally dawning on me, the fabulous presents that I am hand-making are looking for a team of elves to help out for completion on time, and there is the balancing needed for all of the social events.  Everything seems to get slower because guess what? Everyone is doing about the same thing.  Buying up the same ingredients at the grocery store, going to the liquor store (yes – we have that in Canada) and dashing for presents.    It seems you can’t count on anything being in supply only a lot more traffic than usual.  However, being the cookie-baking oracle that I am, I have a few tips that I share with you if only as a reminder for myself….

1.  Envision the road ahead.  It works for performance athletes and it can work for you too.  Envision traffic flowing, parking spots showing up and weary sales staff still offering help and a smile.  Imagine all of your tasks, and lists easily coming together.   I did this myself a year or two ago on a  Saturday close to Christmas– apparently one of the year’s busiest shopping days and waltzed through Canadian Tire, Source City, The Liquor Store and the No Frill grocery store in just under 2.5 hours! I got everything on my list AND not only that, got a perfect parking spot the first time at each of my stops.  Also found a great gift idea for a hard to buy person on my list (shhh don’t tell – hope you aren’t reading this blog) serendipitously.

2.  Use your gut sense intuition. There is a part of us that already knows, that has a calling card to the near future and that can inform us with information we need for good decisions in the moment.  To access it, we need to let go of our ego need for looking good, being right and perhaps being perfect.   Your gut sense is there to let you know things like, take a ten minute nap and you will be able to enjoy all the company arriving, or that a large empty box for a child with a few small stuffed toys is probably going to bring more delight and smiles than the expensive toy that leaves little to the imagination.  If you are feeling confused about some choices in the mad holiday rush, remember to ask “What is my gut telling me? How does my body feel about the options?”

3.  Invoke the Angels. Call it the power of prayer or belief in the great beyond, but I have always found that angels are here to help.  I also don’t ask enough. But if you do, you will notice little miracles showing up that collectively at the end of the day will make you feel like you are being helped by invisible forces.  I invoke the help of angels for others all the time – the news stories that tug at my heart, the homeless that I feel helpless to help but do my best, I invoke angels to help me – find addresses, deal with computer ghosts and gremlins, – all kinds of things.  Whenever I do, the path seems to light up. Things get easier. I hear bells ringing like in the movie – It’s a Wonderful Life.  They are standing by right now waiting for your requests.   What do you need?

4.  Let it Go – Where can you let go of a position, a have to have, a preconceived idea of what would make the holidays the best ever for you ? Just let it go. Focus on what you can do, but most of all the people in your life.   The confluence of family gatherings ( or in this covid year the angst of having no gathering), can bring out unresolved tensions or grievances from Christmas’s past.  Where can you exercise forgiveness and just let a position go?  Hanging on just to be right will drain your energy and throw up road blocks in other areas.

5. Send Your Love – The heart chakra energy of love can melt all negativity.  Sure you may be the one who was wronged, who deserves more etc.  However, when you send your hearts love you help others become coherent and heal. It comes back as love for you too.  Strengthen your heart during the holiday season by circulating your love to others if only in your thoughts.  This does not necessarily mean a shopping trip.  To send your love imagine a stream of pink light radiating from your heart. Create a trail of light from your heart to another and send your light and love.  Keep it to yourself for good measure and notice how people around you start to change. It will add to your mix of a rewarding holiday season.

6. Remember Your Connection to the World – think of the world as a person and ask yourself how they are doing?  Remember that we are in an official world wide pandemic and that even with the vaccine miracle, the worst is likely not over for many parts of the world.  Many are suffering and not coping as well as you are.   Kindness and compassion are the watchwords of this season. Use these qualities liberally and every chance you get.  Send blessings to the front line workers making deliveries including the mail. Appreciate the health care workers who are emotionally stressed and going the distance to save loved ones.  Forgive the non coherent acts of others that seem selfish and unkind… they are likely barely coping.  You can be a beacon of light for the world and create positive change with the power of your thoughts and your kindness.     All we can do is our part to socially distance, wear a mask and stay safe as much as possible.

Hope these tips help you to enjoy the holiday season.   

With love and light,

Carolyn

Ps - join me at the (free) winter solstice group session on Mon Dec 21St for added support .  Register here