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Blog: Can We Have Some Order Here?
 The Real Meaning Of The Holiday Season
I love this time of year -- decorations on the houses, a cold nip in the air, beautiful music everywhere you go. I often have a hard time understanding why so many people get so frustrated during the holidays -- until I go out in public and partake of the madness. Between the crowds, the crazed spending, and the pressures to participate in every social event that comes along, it's no wonder that some folks dread this joyous season!
Making A Choice
The focus during the holidays is supposed to be on joy and love and generosity. But we often become quite myopic in our celebrations -- unable to see past our own worries and expectations for the season. If you find yourself getting irritable and short-tempered and Scroogey this December, I would ask you to rethink your priorities a bit. Are you so focused on shopping and baking and making your house look perfect that you've forgotten the real reason for the season? If I remember correctly, the holidays are meant be a time of peace and goodwill toward others, a season of giving -- an opportunity to practice being the person you always hoped you could be. But how can you do that when you're going 90 miles an hour?
This year, I invite you to step off of the treadmill and redefine the holidays according to your own standards. Who says that you have to have a nervous breakdown to celebrate properly? Where is it written that you must give in to the consumer feeding frenzy? The season is whatever you make it out to be. Some folks really enjoy the flurry of activity, they thrive on it -- but if you want to trade in all the chaos for a period of calm with your family, all you have to do is learn to draw some boundaries. I also hear many people complaining that they are tired of the commercialism -- but what are they doing to put a stop to it? Are they cutting back on gift-giving, spending more time with family than they do in front of the TV, refusing to get caught up in a competition over who can throw the best holiday celebration -- perhaps serving Christmas dinner to the homeless? The only way to change your experience of the holidays is to change your actions.
Spend Some Quiet Time
We're so busy during the holidays -- always going somewhere, doing something. But there is a lot to be said for stopping and just sitting still. I can't tell you how much I enjoy lighting a few candles, putting on some soft music, and curling up with a book and a cup of tea. That's my holiday quiet time. Yours might involve a walk through the neighborhood looking at lights, a church service, or time with your kids before bed. Build some silence into your list of rituals -- you will find that the holidays seem much less hectic and more enjoyable.
I'm not particularly religious -- and while I certainly appreciate the origins of Christmas, I personally tend to celebrate the more secular aspects of the winter holidays. However, I do believe that this is a very spiritual time of the year -- the mid-point of winter has always been about renewal and rebirth. It's the natural season for reflection, reviewing the past year and setting goals for the next -- but only when give yourself some space in which to think and focus. To start the year off well, you also need to end the previous year on the right note. How will you make that happen?
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posted on: 12/2/2010 11:30:00 AM by Ramona Creel
category: General Organizing Tips
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Can We Have Some Order Here?
by Ramona Creel
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About Ramona:
I have been a Professional Organizer for more than 10 years, I am a NAPO Golden Circle member, and I was the original founder of OnlineOrganizing. I have worked one-on-one with scores of clients and have trained dozens of newbie organizers as they got started in the industry. I provide both hands-on and virtual coaching to help clients improve their organizing skills and simplify their lives. I invite you to visit my website at http://www.RamonaCreel.com, and I challenge you to find one new idea that you can put into practice in your life, to help you become better organized, starting TODAY! I am passionate about coaching folks toward a more balanced, productive, and enjoyable life -- and I firmly believe that if I can do it, so can you!
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