What I Know for Sure About the Holidays
Posted on December 4, 2019 by dragonspitapothecary
I intentionally held this post back so it would appear between Thanksgiving and Christmastime. I intentionally also held back how I wanted to write this because different approaches kept coming to me on just how to say what I wanted for this special post. Sometimes these posts just pour out of me like smooth morning coffee on a warm porch watching the sunrise and others I need some time to brew more to be stronger. This was one of those posts but I think it was well worth the extra wait.
What I know for sure about year end holidays is they are both stressful and blissful. How such a time in our lives can be both is bewildering but then I thought on that and realized we have many like this in our life. Upcoming weddings, arrivals of new babies, purchasing our first home and other major life milestones are also both stressful and blissful. We look forward to these events, feeling the anticipation and preparing for that time when it’s happening. While year end holidays happen every year we still feel these things every single year. We feel the buzz of anticipation and excitement well before the holidays are even here. What I know for sure is the holidays are a time we all have some internal clock in knowing they are coming and there is anticipation, even if it is only quietly held in our hearts.
These days Thanksgiving and Christmastime blend together into one large holiday it can seem. We are no sooner finished washing the turkey platter and there is Black Friday shopping telling us we need to start gift shopping. I guess in a lot of ways it has always been like this but with so much technology and marketing it seems more pushy to me somehow. As if my own pace of wanting to be observant and enjoy the process doesn’t flow with the busy nature of the stores. It’s as if we are expected to be in a hurry, scrambling over people fighting over the last one of a hot toy. What I know for sure is online shopping is a blessing. Two-day shipping is Heaven. This is because my soul is calling me to slow down and yet marketers are telling me I must hurry! The messages conflict and overwhelm me into feeling I’m either not doing what I should or I’m going to miss something really important.
The truth is I don’t miss anything that is truly important. If your soul is telling you to rest, reflect, be still and quiet. Honor that. If your soul is saying go shop til you drop go for it! What I know for sure is we must listen to our own heartbeat and feel the energy that is within us if we want to experience the true essence of the holidays. If it doesn’t feel good, make your heart be glad or fill you with a sense of purpose and grace then it’s not for you. It’s ok to miss the mega sale of the season. It’s ok to look for what is perfect for the person you are buying for or even better make them something. I think handmade gifts are incredibly endearing and underrated because their message is entirely clear. That handmade item was made with love, intention and purpose specifically for you. No store can replicate that.
What I know for sure is the holidays are what you make of them. Over the top dazzle or simple and comforting. They are all beautiful in their own right. If you are honoring the true meaning of the season and taking in the messages of grace this season brings then you are doing the holidays right. It truly is not what is under a tree that makes this season what it is for in our hearts and lives.
If you’re looking for reconnection on that message visit one of the many charities and volunteer opportunities that are available this time of year. Let that act of service reopen your heart to what this season is about. Let that act of service be something you carry forward into the new year and do it as much as you can. What I know for sure is you will never be lonely, unfulfilled or ungrateful once you do that. Do it any time you feel you need that reminder. There are many people in this world who would love to just have some company to spend time with playing a card game, sharing a hot meal or way to wash the only clothes they own. If you can serve and give do it because you will not regret it.
What I know for sure about these holidays is even when are firm about keeping them under-toned and limited they have a way of creeping into our day telling us there is more to it. This time of year is where many of us realize what is important in our lives and how often that gets pushed aside for work demands, obligations, responsibilities and things we think we need to make things good for our families. Yes, holding a job and financially supporting your family is important but for many of us that overshadows the time and presence they need from us. The more we can find work that fills our soul, provides that flexibility to be with family and enables us to be free the more aligned we are with our true purpose. For me, this is why I started Dragonspit Apothecary. While I still work fill time too and the hours I put in are sometimes draining the goal is to eventually be able to live a work life on my terms. If that is your dream too then let’s connect. (dragonspitapothecary.com/contact) What I know for sure is we need more than one time a year to remind us there is more to life than work.
As I reflect on all of these points about the holidays I am also reminded of how much we can change in a year. Every day life can make it seem like progress is never occurring but when you truly sit back and look at the whole picture you can see those larger strides and movements towards the intentions you set at the beginning of the year. What I know for sure is if it is truly important to you, you will find a way to make it happen. Intentionally take time to sit quietly somewhere you enjoy and do this reflection. Write it down if it helps but give yourself the grace in realizing what you have accomplished even if it was entirely different than what you meant to do. You did great things this year whether you know it or not. What I know for sure is the year end holidays are truly a celebration of many things including your own growth, progress, movement and accomplishments. I encourage you to celebrate each and every one of them bit and small.
To support you in recognizing what you know about the holidays I invite you to include some pure essential oils and natural products in your life. Using these helps clear the clutter of our body and mind so we can truly see the beauty and grace that is around us all the time. My recommendations include Frankincense, Myrrh and Cinnamon in a diffuser this time of year. It is unbelievable how powerful these oils are at aromatically centering our souls and bringing about a sense of peace. Get them here: (dragonspitapothecary.com/holiday-oils)
What I know for sure is the holidays come this time of year every year as if the divine just knew we would need this regular reminder of our true purpose and reason in this life. We each have one and it is our responsibility to find it, use it and share it with as many as we can. When these holidays come we can reflect on our own growth on that journey and prepare for another year to work even more in alignment with our soul and this purpose.