Unlock the Christmas You Truly Desire
If you’ve ever lost your keys then you’ll know how helpless you feel when it happens. That’s exactly what I did last month in Totnes. It was so frustrating; it meant I couldn’t get into my car, my house or my garage.
Isn’t it amazing how important those small bits of metal are?
In their own right keys are useless. However, when combined with the right lock they are magical. They open doors, treasure chests, safes… you name it. Yes, the humble key can have a mighty impact and you really notice when they’re missing.
The Smallest Things
It can be the same in life – sometimes the smallest things can have the biggest effect. Like a key, a tiny shift in focus can unlock great change. Understanding this can be the ‘key’ to a very happy Christmas.
What do I mean?
Let me give you an example. Last year I had the whole family around for Christmas dinner which in itself (what with all the work and preparation) had the potential to be very stressful.
I wanted it to be special and at first I set my standards high. I wanted it to be perfect. However after a bit more thought I realised that instead of wanting ‘perfect’ what I really wanted was a ‘peaceful’ Christmas.
Stay Peaceful
The difference between a ‘perfect’ Christmas and a ‘peaceful’ Christmas was huge and realising that I wanted peace rather than perfect was my key. “Stay peaceful,” became my mantra (my key) and what a difference it made.
Firstly the family was late. Usually this would throw me into a bit of a stressful panic. I wanted to ‘do’ Christmas properly with champagne and nibbles at a specific time. However I repeated my mantra which was the key to me staying calm.
When they eventually turned up they’d forgotten to bring along the clotted cream (their one contribution to the Christmas meal). What a potential ‘disaster’ to my perfect Christmas pudding. How can you have Christmas pudding without cream? However yet again I stayed calm.
You may be thinking how silly these examples are. However, you often find that it’s the smallest things that can throw us off track.
Often at Christmas we’re tired, our expectations are too high and the influx of family can rattle our emotions. It doesn’t often take much to put us off course.
Imagine if I’d wanted ‘perfect’ rather than ‘peaceful’. That would have unlocked a very different experience. I would have likely been stressed and distracted.
So remember, think of a key word that represents the best Christmas for you. It could be ‘fun’, ‘peaceful’, ‘relaxing’ or ‘enjoyable’. Once you’ve chosen that word bring it to the forefront of your mind and don’t let it go at any cost. This year unlock the Christmas you truly desire.
