How to Have a Great Holiday

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig

It's hard to believe the year has flown by and it's almost December. Weren't we just making New Year's Resolutions? I confess, it's the day before Thanksgiving and I feel overwhelmed by the holidays. What a brat, I'm not even cooking - all I have to do is show up at a friend's house with cheese and crackers. It's the entire shebang - Thanksgiving through New Year's that has me exhausted. I have eight parties on the calendar so far, and I'm tired just looking at them.  

Time for a serious gratitude readjustment. There are many things wrong with my attitude. Ingratitude attitude has inflicted me during years when I didn't have any holiday parties to go to, and years when I was exhausted planning my own parties. The holidays are supposed to be fun, skinny, and contemplative. The two keys are 1) be grateful for what you have and 2) plan.

What to do: Have a wonderful holiday season

1. Make a list of ten things for which you're grateful. OK, five. Now, in your head. You won't be tested. I do this when I run, and the list has been as basic as being able to run. Now the New York Times reports it can make you healthier.
2. Plan. Take a look at your calendar to see what the next few weeks look like, and figure out what you need for each event. This post from last year explains how to plan.
3. Be nice to someone. The holidays can be lonely for people - invite someone that doesn't have plans to Thanksgiving, to a party, to a religous service or to tea. It may be painful at the time, but you will be glad later.
4. Let it go. Things may not be perfect - you may have wanted a particular someone back for the holidays, you may wish you had someone to celebrate with, you may wish you were somewhere else, you may be mad at someone. Just let it go and enjoy what you're blessed with this year.
5. Enjoy the lights. Be nice to yourself. Take a break, go for a walk or a drive and enjoy the bracing weather.

Have a cozy holiday everyone!

Links:

• A Serving of Gratitude May Save the Day, New York Times
• Mindful Eats post on surviving holiday eating
• Giving a gift? Here's the Mindful List
• Mindul Eats post on holiday planning

What I ate: 1 hard boiled egg, 1 apple, 1 pear, 3 slices of toast and goat cheese, 1 cup quinoa, kale + tofu, 1/2 coffee + hemp milk, whole wheat spaghetti, Rao's Siciliana sauce, ground flaxseeds, caramel + cheddar popcorn, 45 oz. water

Exercise: jogged 5 miles