It’s here! I’m not sure how it happened so quickly.
As we enter December 2020, we’re entering a holiday season unlike any before.
As a person who used to tolerate this time of year and fake it, I’ve undertaken a major reconstruction of my feelings about the season over the past 18-months.
I used to groan when people rushed the season, putting up trees and decorations early. Now, I’m one of them.
It turns out those who enjoy decorating early do so because it touches happy childhood memories. These joyful memories, via the body-mind connection, cause a secretion of beneficial hormones and chemicals throughout their bodies, bolstering their health and happiness during the time of lowest light.
According to cell biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton, much of our subconscious memory is created by the time we’re eight years old. Until the age of eight, a child is downloading data, not thinking or questioning, just accepting information as truth.
In realizing my negative feelings about the holiday season were ghosts of the past, I’ve reconstructed my meaning of Christmas.
I’ve made a conscious decision to enter into this holiday season in a new way, despite the constraints 2020 has offered.
For the first time in my life, I’ve decorated not one, but two trees in our home. And, I love it. My family is looking at me strangely, wondering what’s happened to me.
Something inside of me has changed, for the better. I’ve remembered my why, as I am consciously choosing to reconstruct my meaning of this season.
Simply remembering what’s most important, to remember the reasons behind all of the activity, adds richness to our lives.
As master Suzuki Roshi advises, “The most important thing is remembering the most important thing.”
Asking ourselves what matters most to us is a clarifying question. What do we want to experience? Is it my intention to experience:
- Connection
- Happiness
- Generosity
- Kindness
- 0r is it simply to check chores off my list?
Why are we doing what we’re doing?
Remembering why helps us to clearly set our intentions that are out-pictured in our actions. This adds richness and meaning to our lives, and to the lives we touch. For me, it simplifies life greatly, as it’s easy to carry away.
Setting our intentions for our lives is like creating a map for where we choose to go and how we choose to be. Intentions are the driving force behind what you want to achieve, and set the stage for what’s possible.
The most important thing is remembering the most important thing.
As I go about my days, I remember my “reasons for the season,” I feel lighter and more energized inside. There’s a sense of joy, value, and meaning in actions that were steeped in stress and pressure in years past.
Clarifying our why, and remembering our intentions for living is applicable to every experience of our lives.
Remembering the reasons behind what we’re doing adds richness and meaning to everything we do.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.