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Saturday, 21 December 2024
On this day of your life
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I believe God wants you to know ... ... that love
tolerates human foibles, faults, and failings. When someone does
something you don't like, try toleration. Tell
them in your nicest way that you do not feel good about
what occurred or what was said, but try hard not to
cold-shoulder them, and block them out of any
warm connection with you. All you teach them
by that is to be afraid of you -- by making them afraid
of losing you...or at least the warmth of their connection
with you. This is, of course, what some people say God
does to us... Give people the
same break you would like God (and other people, for
that matter) to give you. |
Allowing Ourselves to Receive (OM)
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3 Pema Chödrön Quotes to help us Navigate the Holidays.
I love the holidays.
The stretch of time between Halloween and New Year’s Day is like my Super Bowl. Honestly, we could extend that timeframe straight through my birthday (which is the end of January), the actual Super Bowl (I’m a sucker for a good halftime show), and Valentine’s Day (because who doesn’t love love and chocolate).
The point is, I love a reason to celebrate. To gather with family and friends. To engage in sentimental traditions. To eat and drink all my favorite things. To give gifts that make others smile. To express gratitude for all we have to celebrate, especially when it can often feel like the world around us is careening out of control.
But this stretch of time, particularly as we get older, can feel like a marathon of overstimulation, overconsumption, and full-on mental, emotional, financial, and physical overwhelm.
While many of us would love to spend all our time basking in the glow of twinkle lights, Hallmark movies, holiday parties, festive music, family traditions, and sweet treats, we struggle to find balance with our real-world responsibilities. I mean, who wants to work and run errands and pay bills and tackle projects when there is holiday fun to be had?
And then there’s the fact that “the most wonderful time of the year” is often filled with grief, sadness, anxiety, depression, frustration, and loneliness for so many. Between family drama, social obligations, trying to make things magical for little ones, missing those we’ve lost, and dealing with the stress of just being out in the world more, we may want to feel joyful and celebratory, but that isn’t always easy when we’re juggling so much.
There’s no magic pill to cure the holiday blues (or the holiday madness) but one thing we can do is learn to manage our own thoughts, feelings, and actions. To show up with gentleness for ourselves and others.
Here are three quotes from one of my favorite teachers, Pema Chödrön, that can help us navigate the holidays more mindfully:
“Whether it’s ourselves, our lovers, bosses, children, local Scrooge, or the political situation, it’s more daring and real not to shut anyone out of our hearts and not to make the other into an enemy. If we begin to live like this, we’ll find that we actually can’t make things completely right or completely wrong anymore, because things are a lot more slippery and playful than that. Everything is ambiguous; everything is always shifting and changing, and there are as many different takes on any given situation as there are people involved. Trying to find absolute rights and wrongs is a trick we play on ourselves to feel secure and comfortable.”
“What you do for yourself, any gesture of kindness, any gesture of gentleness, any gesture of honesty and clear seeing toward yourself, will affect how you experience your world. In fact, it will transform how you experience the world. What you do for yourself, you’re doing for others, and what you do for others, you’re doing for yourself.”
“Now is the only time. How we relate to it creates the future. In other words, if we’re going to be more cheerful in the future, it’s because of our aspiration and exertion to be cheerful in the present. What we do accumulates; the future is the result of what we do right now.”
~
author: Nicole Cameron
Image: Jakob Owens/Unsplash
5 Jane Austen Quotes to Inspire your Holiday Reading Goals.
With the week before Christmas now upon us (eek), I have found myself completely surrendering to the ritual of stress and panic that I try so hard to resist at this time of year.
School concerts, presentations, dance recitals, Christmas gatherings, elf antics, tree decorating, wish lists, postal system cutoffs, online ordering deadlines, Santa photos, carols, present planning, food ordering, and family road trips are all fighting for priority on my completely irrational and unattainable to-do list.
Having moved house just two weeks ago, any sense of time management or forward planning has been sucked down a sinkhole and spat out somewhere in the Indian Ocean.
I decided to relinquish my control of this list in the hope that it would dissolve into a lake of peace and tranquility featuring a little wooden boat bobbing around in the middle full of good books and a timeless schedule.
Enter the literary legacy of the remarkable novelist Jane Austen.
Amongst the chaos of Christmas, the recognition of her birthday this week (16th December 1775) brought me an odd sense of calm; I felt such a rush of gratitude to her for existing and writing her incredible works of romantic fiction. Born in Hampshire, England, her works continue to inspire readers almost two and a half centuries later. This is a tremendous accomplishment given that she died at the tender young age of 41.
Considering her first work of fiction, Sense and Sensibility, was published in 1811 at age 36, and her final work, Emma, only five years later, the legacy that her words have left behind is remarkable.
In the spirit of overcoming our holiday anxieties and crazy calendars, these five quotes by the author herself serve as inspiration to encourage us to lean into the slower pace of the holiday period, pick up a good book, and consciously choose reading as a remedy to the traditional fast pace of this time of year.
1. “If a book is well written, I always find it too short.” ~ Jane Austen
2. “I am delighted with the book! I would like to spend my whole life in reading it!” ~ Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
3. “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
4. “To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.” ~ Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
5. “Indulge your imagination in every possible flight.” ~ Jane Austen
The only question remaining is—what book will you choose?
~
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Kindness in Chaos: How Small Acts of Generosity can Brighten the Holiday Hustle.
I shared with my family back in November that I hadn’t planned on writing this holiday season. With so much going on, I thought I’d step back and enjoy the moment.
But then something happened the other day—an encounter that stayed with me and made me realize it was a story worth sharing.
We are familiar with the fact that this festivity season can bring out the best and the worst in all of us. It’s a time of happiness, togetherness, generosity, stress, long lines, and short tempers. Amidst the chaos, some moments can test our patience and kindness. I recently experienced one of these moments while standing in line at a busy home décor store.
The entire store was full of holiday shoppers, carts filled with decorations and gifts. I patiently waited my turn in a long line when a woman approached me holding a large box. She asked if I could inquire with the cashier about the price of her item. Without overthinking, I said, “Yes, go ahead.” I felt like it was the right thing to do—a small act of kindness during the busy seasonal hustle.
I was not thinking clearly, so what happened caught me off guard. Instead of simply asking the cashier for the price, the woman placed her box down, asked about the cost, and then pulled up her phone. She started asking for details about other items she was interested in from the store’s website.
I glanced at the line behind me; the looks said it all. Tired, frustrated shoppers stared at me, their expressions full of unspoken judgment.
The awkwardness settled over me like a heavy coat, my face growing warm. Like many others, I’m juggling a million things this time of year. The pressure to get everything done—to find the perfect gifts, decorate just right, and keep up with it all—can make even the calmest person feel frazzled.
So, in the middle of all this chaos, a small act of kindness can feel like a lifeline—something beautiful and simple that reminds us what matters. But I’ve also learned that even kindness needs balance.
Kindness requires thoughtfulness; sometimes, it requires setting boundaries to avoid inadvertently causing stress to others. This emphasis on balance can empower you to be kind in a way that respects others and yourself.
In my case, I acted on impulse. If I had paused momentarily, I might have considered the impact on the people waiting behind me. I could have told the woman, “You can ask your question, but it would be better to wait since there is a long line behind me.” That way, I could have helped her while also respecting the time and patience of others.
Why Kindness Matters, Especially Now
During this busy holiday shopping, it’s easy to forget that everyone around us is dealing with their challenges. The person who seems impatient may be rushing to pick up their child. The cashier who appears distracted might be working a double shift to make ends meet. And the woman with the box may need extra help navigating shopping.
I’ve seen that kindness means more when paired with mindfulness this holiday season. It’s not just about doing good things for others—it’s about being aware of how our actions affect others. Small, thoughtful gestures can lift someone’s day without adding to the weight they’re already carrying. We know that people’s frustrations come from their stress and have nothing to do with us.
As I spend time with my loved ones this season, I’ll carry the lesson I learned in that crowded store with me: even the smallest gestures, when done with care, can lift someone’s spirits and bring us back to what matters.
Isn’t that what the holidays are about—giving in a way that touches everyone around us?
~
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