GOOD FORTUNE this Season
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'Tis the season…of DOING.Hustle…Bustle…Is this you?"A wise man saw a woman running in the street and asked, "Why do you run?"She replied, "I am running after my good fortune!"The wise man tells her, "Silly woman, your good fortune has been trying to catch you but you are running too fast!"Want to stop running and make it a "Season of Being" instead?You can. Right. Now.Here's how:1. Create some quiet time for yourself. (Takes HUGE willpower but do this, you won't regret it.)2. Now write, draw, or simply make a movie in your mind: Fast forward yourself to January 3, 2015, pause there and look back. What will matter the most to you? The cleaning, shopping, wrapped presents, hustle…bustle…? OR will it be "THE MOMENT"? You know the one: a look, a touch of the hand, a smile.2. Amplify YOUR MOMENT as you look back by 'turning up the volume' on the mood you've created - yes, the one your deepest heart yearns for.3. Roll up your sleeves, this might be hard for you, time to write down exactly/specifically/in great detail WHAT YOU WANT. (NOT what you don't want). The more you "color" the images, the more likely they will be to unfold as you have pre-determined. (May sound a little "woo-woo" but try it, and prepare to be amazed!)4. Now write down what is EXPECTED of you - or what you THINK your partner/kids/parents expect of you. Ouch - this could be a long list.5. Time to get real - what can you comfortably and honestly do LESS of? What do you want MORE of? Consult with your partner, your family…and make some agreements.Trust me, your kids will NOT remember the mountain of gifts, the groaning table of home-baked goodies - they WILL remember the mood you created, the connections you deepened, and the moments when you were fully with them in the present.Try this list on for size:Enjoy your Good Fortune this season!And speaking of presents: In his book, Simplicity Parenting, Kim John Payne says, "Too much stuff leads to too many choices." And that can lead to: sibling conflict, overwhelm, wanting more because nothing satisfies, and is a HUGE contributor to YOUR frustration with- and nagging about- STUFF.Interesting to contemplate: As toys became marketed in all seasons of the year (only since 1955), children's play became less focused on activities and more focused on the THINGS involved - the toys themselves, as reported by Howard Chudacoff in his history of play.Check out this blog for how you can have more with less. Toys, that is.
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