The Most Important Seasoning in Your Spice Rack.
Oh My Goodness. They’re upon us again. The Holidays. The hustle-bustle. The overspending, overeating, overeverything.
With all this going on, the temptation, of course, is to try to fix everything and everyone, including the menu, my hair, the pillows on the couch, the challenging relative(s). But instead of fixing it or them this year, I’ve got a new plan.
The plan is to relate to myself as I would a cherished friend. Not relating to myself as someone I take for granted, or someone I must control otherwise she’ll go ape.
For instance, when a friend is stressed, would we berate her and add more negativity to her day? Probably not. We would offer her an open heart, more kindness, more support. If a friend had a to-do list that was ridiculously long, wouldn’t we offer to take something off her plate? Or suggest she delegate. Or down-size it. People will love you anyway.
And, if a holiday guest makes a not-so-thoughtful comment to our friend, wouldn’t we suggest our dear friend ignore or let go of the comment? I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t suggest she ruminate on the obnoxious comment until she feels terrible. Yet, sometimes we mull over the random comments people make, and wind up deepening our personal misery instead of our peace of mind. Breathe deeply and find your center. You can’t fix them anyway.
If our friend is exhausted or depleted, we may suggest that she take a few minutes to rest– even a mini-nap, or suggest she rediscover the joy of parading around the kitchen as if she were auditioning for The Voice. Never underestimate simplicity when it comes to renewal and helping out your dear innerfriend. She needs you now more than ever.
The most important seasoning in our spice rack for Thanksgiving 2013? More loving kindness towards ourselves. Maybe a little more rest in-between the rushing. Find it first through breath, and then through shifting your perspective from clamping down on yourself to deeply honoring yourself.
Here’s to us, and to a season of appreciating our lives and those we share it with.