Can the silly season leave you worn out? Certain family members bring out the worst in you? Pick & choose from my tips on how to stay cool, calm and collected this Christmas:
1. Practice Self-Strength.
Show up and be you now – not the sister or brother you were as a kid when your siblings had one over you or when you had one over them. Have personal integrity and act with kindness. Commit to your daily rituals such as training (which will direct your energy positively) and practicing yoga so that you can keep your cool in challenging situations.
2. Cultivate balance.
Ben and I were only just talking about Balance last week. Somehow balance has become this mythical essence because everyone has their own take on it and no one quite knows what it is or how to achieve it.
Ask yourself and write down what a healthy balance between work, relationships, relaxation, development, fitness, self-expression and enjoying the smaller things the spaces between is for you.
3. Find ease.
Christmas is the perfect time to test how reactive and non-reactive you’ve become. If you spend time around family at Christmas, notice if you retract back to that same little/big sibling or if you can keep your cool and act with honesty & integrity. These big tests can have ground breaking results on your development and they can go either way. This also leads to…
4. Learn to accept.
Eckhart Tolle said, “Accept your life or change it. Any other position is insane.” Change what you can change, accept what you can’t. You’re not going to be able to change someone or something that doesn’t want to be. Stop wasting all that well generated energy on something that can’t be shifted.
5. Be Kind
I think this can be the coolest gift you can give someone. We all experience struggle and unease at times. See if you can practice patience and kindness with those people close to you at Christmas and know that if someone blow up at you for something as small as not passing the mint sauce, they’re struggling with their own ‘stuff’ also.
6. Gratitude.
From this day forwards until 1 January I set you a challenge to wake up each morning, sit on the edge of your bed or clean your teeth and literally count your blessings. Rattle off all of the things you’re happy for. Small or big. They say that whatever we show gratitude for it comes back to us in two fold. And if you haven’t contributed to our Gratitude Tree yet – do!