Twas a Week Before Christmas

Twas a Week Before Christmas

Exactly one week from today it will be Christmas Day.  What does that mean for you this week?  If you are not finished with the shopping then you are not alone one study indicates that only 43% of people are completely finished with their shopping heading into the final week.

The bigger question is what percentage of your shopping have you completed?  The lower that number the higher your stress is likely to be coming down the stretch.  I know from experience that there are a multitude of reasons that we wind up in the haphazard, harried, holiday blitz mode.  First of all time slips away, second we are easily distracted, and finally we are trying to stretch every last dollar out of our payroll checks.

Why do we do it all?  This is a wonderful question and I am not sure that I have the right answer(s).  The most simple answer I can give is that it is what we have always done.  No this isn't an elegant or theological answer, but it is the best one I have to offer.  Looking at this from the same perspective we look at our business interests I would then have to ask, is that the best way to do this?  The answer here can be even more complex for most folks, but I am going counter-intuitive here and will say no that this is not the best way to do this. 

So, if this isn't the best way to do this, then how could we do it better?  My first thought would be to scale it back.  Yes the Wise Men in the Christmas story brought fine gifts, but they did not bring a truckload (they didn't even have trucks then).  Second don't get hung up on the calendar, those same wise men took a long time to reach Bethlehem and were not there immediately upon Jesus birth as is so often portrayed.  Finally concentrate on gratitude.  We have all been blessed immensely, and wanting to share from our bounty is a great thing, I would never encourage a selfish heart.  However, trying to outdo, outbuy, or one-up our friends and relatives with what we give is not a winning tradition.  Give from the heart and if there are those who are ungrateful then that is a problem of their heart not yours.  I would further suggest, and this may not be popular, but if you have those who have a history of ingratitude in receiving your gifts then you may consider crossing them off your list in the future.

What suggestions do you have for simplifying the season, or re-engineering how we celebrate?  I would love to hear from you with ideas of your own.  Together we can make this life better, and can all Do Well!