Reclaiming My Holiday Spirit
by Amy Riley
This season, why not focus on reclaiming YOUR holiday spirit, rather than trying to focus on reclaiming THE holiday spirit?
Here’s why: If we focus on the holiday spirit, then the task can seem elusive. It’s out there… it’s external to us. To focus on the holiday spirit we would need to understand and agree with some universal essence of the holidays. It’s outside of ourselves, somewhere out there. It makes it hard to know what it is, how to get it… and we end up just knowing that we don’t have it… whatever it is.
When you focus on your holiday spirit, now it’s personal. You get to define it, you get say what it is.. and reclaiming your holiday spirit is within reach. Although it can be revealing and take courage, it’s the way to experience the holidays in the manner that’s most important to you.
Given that context, we asked the TeleConnect participants to follow the 5 simple steps to reclaiming your holiday spirit. Here is what I realized for myself as we explored the steps.
1. Assume you have a holiday spirit. It can be easy for me to think that I’m a bit of a scrooge because there are some aspects of the season that I don’t get into (like taking pictures with Santa, getting out the good china, and decorating the house). Yet, if I think for just a moment, there are other aspects of the holidays that I love and appreciate. I love how people reach out to help and support others during the holidays. I get delighted when someone takes the time and attention to get someone else a gift they know the receiver will love. I appreciate the events that bring me together with my loved ones…especially when I slow down and make sure I’m “present” with my friends and family and feeling truly “connected.”
2. Name your holiday spirit. When I clearly identify the aspects of the holiday that I find inspiring, then it’s fun and easy to name my holiday spirit. Mine is named “Giving presence” speaking to the delight I feel when someone gives a gift that is perfectly suited for the recipient and to my desire to be “present” and tuned into the people in my life.
3. Act like your holiday spirit. If I was acting like my holiday spirit, Giving Presence, then I’d have some fun hitting the specialty shops in my neighborhood to see if I can find some perfect treasures. I’d make sure there was enough “space” in my calendar to ensure I wasn’t rushing from here to there and could relax and enjoy and be present at the events where I choose to show up. I’d involve my family in buying gifts for a family in need.
4. Witness your holiday spirit in action. Since the TeleConnect, I’ve noticed and appreciated the Salvation Army bell ringers and the “extra” solicitations we get for help during the holidays. These are all from people committed to brightening someone else’s life. How great is that? I’ve also gotten just a little bit more excited as the gifts I’ve ordered for others arrive. And, I see how those around me are getting into the season in their own ways, and I’m enjoying the idea that there’s no “right” way.
5. Be generous and forgiving. Someone on the TeleConnect call shared that a way she could “be generous and forgiving” would be to assume that people are coming from the best of intentions. This is brilliant. I know people are doing the best they can. I know I’m doing the best I can.
What can you do to reclaim your holiday spirit?
