DON'T LET COMPARISON ROB YOU OF YOUR PEACE
Steven Markel
The lights are going up, the decorations are being hung, the parties are being planned, and there are tons of Facebook & Instagram posts to prove all of it. It might make us look around our own house and wonder if we are making our holiday season as special for our families & friends as those other parents are. The word “should” suddenly might be plaguing our holiday decoration & party dreams.
I call this the “tyranny of the should.” So how do we stop ourselves from the “tyranny of the should” this holiday season and instead indulge in some well-deserved inner peace?
INTENTIONALITY
We do this by separating what is real from the ideal. By focusing on what is actually real about ourselves and our world, we can then set amazing goals for our holiday season. Living with some intention allows us to be satisfied with our life, what we have, and be in harmony with our goals and desires. Really, it’s just all about being directed from the inside, not what is being made a spectacle in other people’s lives.
When we don’t put intentionality behind our holiday decisions, we will inevitably find ourselves either way too busy with a ton of expensive plans or way too bored with a bitter, Scrooge-like attitude. When our holiday season isn’t lived with authentic, good intentionality, we will just end up living an accidental holiday season.
As George Bailey from It’s A Wonderful Life said, “…when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing.” Be sure to stop yourself a couple times this holiday season, put your phone down, and do the same for your own life. Doing this will melt away those anxious comparisons and instead give you a fresh, grateful perspective to act meaningfully for those around you. It will truly be this type of mindfulness that will bring you peace this holiday season.
