The holiday season this year, 2020, is going to be different. We already know that. How about choosing to have a creative celebration in a safe, responsible, and healthy way and celebrate anyway! One that you can fully embrace and enjoy for all that it can be, instead of spending too much time grieving what cannot be this year.
Traditions are a wonderful thing and the holiday season is when many people have some of their favourites. There’s the annual office party, the massive family meal, taking the kids to see Santa at the mall, gathering at friends homes, and doing many different in person acts of kindness for others, just to name a few.
What are your favourite traditions?
I get that letting some of them go for this year sucks. I’m feeling it too, especially not being able to visit my dad in person as he now lives in long term care.
Traditions are a part of experiencing what it is to live your best life. They form part of your why and the deeper meaning behind what is important to you. They form part of the real success of what matters most to you.
There are times though, and we’re currently all experiencing one of them, when we need to alter our path a bit. It doesn’t mean we have to abandon our traditions. No, we just need to not be so rigidly attached to them that we cannot re-imagine them a little differently, just for this year.
Remember next year is only a year away. Then you’ll be able to resume your favourite traditions exactly as you want them to be.
In the mean time consider this thought.…
Instead of staying stuck with your inner voice repeating over and over that it cannot be the way you want to so it will suck or has to be completely cancelled, ask one of the most powerful mindset shifting questions you can ask yourself…
How can I do things differently, just this one year, and celebrate anyway while embracing and enjoying what it’s really all about to me.
When you shift from a closed mindset dominated by can’t to a mindset open to possibilities, your creative celebration generating juices can flow.
Begin connecting with why you celebrate at this time of the year. That will mean different things to different people. What matters most to you?
Then begin to explore the possibilities of how to create wonderful experiences. There really are many things that can be done safely, responsibly and healthfully. With an open mindset you will be able to celebrate anyway!
Create Opportunities To Connect… And Celebrate Anyway!
This past year has been hard for many people. Maybe you’re one of them. Some people are isolated and feeling very alone, especially as the holidays approach. Others may be feeling a negative impact on their business or their job and are quite stressed. Some others yet might be self isolating or feeling a direct impact of COVID-19 and feeling frustrated or worried.
Take the initiative and reach out to create some holiday cheer to those important people in your world. You just never know how much it might mean to them.
And if you’re the one whose feeling out of sorts reach out to those in your world and ask for support. Maybe it’s a quick call just to say hi but maybe it’s more.
Start Some New Traditions
Think about all the traditions you love over the holidays. What ones can you still do and cherish that much more given this years uniqueness?
Some of the ones for us include watching Polar Express on Christmas Eve, decorating up the house, and together making up some of our favourite holiday treats like nuts and bolts!
How Will You Celebrate Anyway?
Now what other traditions will you need to re-imagine this year and how will you do it?
Normally my sister and her family come from out of town and stay at my place. Not this year. So, instead of the family visit and the family meal with both of my sisters and their families, we’ll prepare a smaller meal just for us. Then we’ll connect online to visit and enjoy each others company.
What matters most is the family connection. The meal prepared and shared amongst us all is wonderful and will be again next year, but it’s the family connection that really matters to us.
What about you? What traditions will you change up and what is at the heart of what really matters for the experience of that tradition?
Traditions are based in meaning, the meaning they have for you. When the things you choose to do this one year remain aligned to your deeper meaning for the holidays, you’ll have the wonderful experience you cherish so much even if they are different than normal.
When remembering your why, remember how your re-imagining holiday traditions and celebrating anyway might, just might positively impact how someone else get to celebrate this year and for many to come.
Get to the heart of all that and you’ll embrace and enjoy how you celebrate anyway.
Happy Holidays!
