From Lou Tice - newsletter
This week, at least here in the United States, marks the beginning of the holiday season. And for some of us, it becomes the "season of stress and tension." The good news is it doesn't have to be.
Today, let's talk a little bit about how we perceive holidays, regardless of where they land on the calendar. For most of the world, upcoming holidays signal a lot of preparation - to get home, to physically connect with family and friends we haven't seen in a long while, the food, the weather, the endless lines/queues, and on and on.
When we look at these events, and all the effort that goes into making them happen, it would be easy to slip into panic mode. "How do we get there?" "When am I going to have the time to get the grocery shopping done?" "The timing has to be perfect, or we'll miss the plane!" "What on earth am I going to get for presents?!?!?" Do you recognize anyone you know in these sentences?
With all the "how's" and "have to's", we get ourselves tied up in knots - literally and figuratively. Every traffic tie-up becomes a crisis. Finding a parking place becomes the ultimate in gladiatorial combat. "To do" lists grow lists of their own. We seem to lose our ability to make even the simplest of decisions. Headaches ensue. At its worst, all some of us want to do is pull the covers over our heads, and avoid the holidays altogether.
So, how do we get past the stress and tension? I want to talk more about this tomorrow. In the meantime, give some thought to those stress points that cause you tension during the holidays. Ask yourself "why" they do. This is a little self-reflection exercise that may uncover some "old tapes" you can throw out. Talk
Lou Tice
www.thepacificinstitute.com
