Stay Calm it's Christmas

Today is the day! All that planning and hard work comes together. We have searched for and wrapped the prefect gifts. We have elbowed our way through the supermarket to buy mountains of food and we have been up till all hours tidying and preparing the house in case people drop in.

Let’s face it, we are now absolutely knackered!

Does this excessive level of effort place extreme expectations on Christmas Day and the people we plan to share it with?

Yes, it does.

Worrying if the kids will like their presents, keeping the Christmas magic alive, trying not to snap when people make helpful comments, and not taking offence if they don’t like a gift or the food we have prepared all takes effort and energy. We can sometimes heave a sigh of relief when Christmas is over.

This is so sad, because how often are we given the gift of time off with the people we love? Those of you who have lost someone close to you will know just how precious these times are.

We are in danger of not taking advantage of what the Universe sends us; we become indifferent, and when we are indifferent we walk away from abundance and project apathy. We will then, of course, receive this in return.

Perhaps it is time to make some changes.

We cannot control what others think, feel and do any more than we can control the weather, as we have written many time before. We do, however, have full control over what we think, feel, and do.

So let’s take the pressure off ourselves to be perfect and provide a perfect Christmas and actually enjoy our day, because when we project joy that is what will be reflected back at us from everyone else.

We are likely to find that everyone is as pleased as we are that the pressure is gone.

We can be honest with each other about presents. A fake thank you is exactly that, fake, and we will transmit that message whatever words we say and create a contaminated message. Instead we can arrange a shopping trip together to exchange the item. If someone doesn’t like our gift we can be grateful that we kept the receipts and that we have learned a little bit more about the person in our lives so we can get a gift they will like much more next time.

We can let go of the need for the house to be perfectly tidy. Christmas is about relaxing, and when people get together and relax they make mess. Accepting this and letting go of the fear that an untidy house says something about us is liberating. If we are anxious when guests arrive they will pick up on this and may believe it is because we do not want to be hosting. If we are relaxed, we will have more time to spend with our visitors, they will feel welcome and will enjoy themselves. Remember, anyone who makes disparaging comments is saying more about themselves than they are about us.

Old family hurts can be released as outmoded. These historical arguments can easily resurface unless we recognise what they create inside ourselves (how they make us think, feel and respond) and make the choice to not engage in such a negative cycle. Feeling grateful that we have recognised the pattern instantly generates more positive body chemistry, and we can step out of the situation and smile.

Enjoy your Christmas day wherever you are and whomever you are with. Stay in the moment and savour it! Let go of fears of the future and hurts from the past; they have no place in the present moment.

Merry Christmas