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  • Dec 2008 DH Canvas

We are nearing that time of year when everyone begins to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  Wouldn’t it be great if this year you could completely enjoy the holiday AND be stress free?  Well you can!

The holidays are a time of giving.  The funny thing is we tend to FORGET the one person we should be giving to, OURSELVES.  This year I am challenging everyone to sit down before the holiday begins and figure out what your perfect holiday would look like?  Figure out what has meaning to you.  Then comes the most important part…..STICK to it!  Learn to say NO!  Learn to set boundaries!  Learn to truly enjoy the holiday season.

This is sure to be a holiday season where people will need to re-evaluate their shopping lists.  Instead of stressing out on what you can’t afford to buy or what you feel you need to cut back on, why not turn that negative into a positive?  Get creative!  Have fun!  Why not have everyone in the family pick one name to buy for and set a spending limit on the gift.  Or why not have everyone put their gift  money together and go see a show in the city or take a day trip as a family.  I have a very close friend that chose to take all the money she would of spent on gifts for family and friends and instead she sponsored a child!!!!!!!!  Talk about a season of giving!  The best part was that in the end she actually gave herself the best gift of all.  She gave herself permission to celebrate the holiday as she truly saw fit!

Years ago I volunteered at a nursing home.  I was going through a very difficult time in my life and although it seemed I had no time to do anything I was adamant making time to help out at the nursing home.  The elderly patients I had spent time with taught me one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned!  They taught me that at the end of the day it wasn’t the cost of the gift that mattered, the kind of car they drove or how much  money they made.  At the end of the day the thing that mattered the most was the time they spent with the ones they loved!  And you know what the best thing is?  Love is free!

I wish you all a healthy and stress free holiday!