It’s a Wonderful Life is an old favourite; this Christmas movie classic reminds us that taking care of others and sharing all we are blessed to have is the greatest gift there is.
Every holiday season is an opportunity to reflect on new experiences and opportunities and a chance to reach out to others. Tradition looms large during the festive season and that’s great but it’s important not to let tradition dictate; while they engender a sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves they are not set in stone.
We can make new traditions, meld them with the old traditions, or just start over. The pandemic has taught us that material things don’t carry the meaning they may have before. The perfect gift isn’t the reason we hope to wake up with our loved ones on Christmas morning.
Changing up
In the spirit of the holiday season giving our resources, our time, and of ourselves is what matters, and tradition should not become an obligation or a burden. We all know that “we’ve always done it that way” is not any sort of reason for continuing to do anything the same old way.
So if you want to make a change then consider the context and situation, if tradition doesn’t resonate, dump it. Where there are disagreements about what matters then try to find the middle ground.
Be kind, be open-minded, be inclusive, and try to listen to your colleagues, friends and family. The holiday season is a good time for exploration and experimentation. Decide what matters to you and those you value and then do what is best rather than following tradition.
Be kind
We can all play a part in making the world a place of kindness and compassion. Be kind to others and be kind to yourself.
Be kind and think about how you can do small things which might make a big difference.
- A smile, a thank you
- Holding the door open or reaching something from a high shelf for someone
- Giving a compliment to someone you know or even a stranger
- Thanking someone who you appreciate
- Be a good listener
- Thinking before you speak
- Consider others first
- Look for the positives
Action for Happiness have a Kindness calendar https://www.actionforhappiness.org/december – kindness is contagious, and helping others has been proven to make us feel better too.
Season’s greetings from the team at 10Eighty, we’re glad to know you and we’d love to hear from you. Keep safe and healthy and cheerful and we hope to meet up in the New Year.
