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Visit vw.ca to learn more. SUVW, German-engineered for all. It's a minimalist Monday edition of optimal living daily episode 1816, halting the holiday hustle by Rose-Loundsbury of RoseLoundsbury.com. I'm Justin Mollig, your personal narrator, reading to you with permission from the authors.
I cover lots of topics like personal development or self-help, mindfulness, happiness, anything that I think can help you live a more meaningful life in just a few minutes every day. And with that, let's get right to it as we optimize your life. Alting the Holiday Hustle by Rose-Loundsbury of RoseLoundsbury.com If you enjoy the alliteration in the title of this post as much as I do, give me a digital fist bump, English nerds unite, but I digress and haven't even really started each. Today's topic is the season that is upon us.
You've seen the reeds and the stores, heard the beginning strains of those old familiar tunes, and maybe even spruced up your behavior to ensure a top spot on Santa's coveted nice list. Yes, it's holiday time again. And with that, comes the inevitable Holiday Hustle, or at least we seem to think it's inevitable in America. We go from store to store, buying trinkets for loved ones and glittery decor for our homes.
We bake, we send cards, we participate in a bit of do-goodery. After all, it is the season for giving. We feel an obligation to squeeze in at least one act of goodwill toward men amongst the Holiday parties in tinsel. And above all, we try to make memories, those indelible treasures that last long after the trees on the curb and the last bits of shiny paper find their way to the trash.
The trouble is, all this holiday hustle often isn't enjoyable. In fact, it's worse than that, it's downright stressful. We create so much anxiety about having a good time and enjoying the holidays that we often fail to do just that, the irony. Again, English nerds correctly use the literary term fist bump.
This is on my mind today because my friend Michelle recently posted this on Facebook. Quote, I've been thinking about Christmas cards this week, specifically about not doing them for the first time ever. I love Christmas cards, my joy sending them and receiving them. I have fun selecting a design, but every year there are sources of some stress for me.
What photo will we use? Do we take our own or higher photographer? How will I find the time to get them all done? We typically send around 200.
I've also been thinking a lot about time and how we spend it. Very recently, I've known or heard of several young people who have passed away in their 30s and knowing this has been an important reminder to treasure each day and the people I love for the gifts they are. Some thinking, no Christmas cards this year. I'm not saying I won't do them again, but who knows, maybe not.
I'm also thinking that we will donate the money we save to children's charities. More time for our family, money to charities and less cards in the trash. This really is a tough decision for me breaking away from the tradition and the ritual of actually taking the time to send something personal in the mail. That is why I'm putting it out here so I can hold myself accountable to my choice.
Michelle received some very interesting comments from requests to not join the Antichristmas movement, to like-hearted individuals who, too, wanted to halt the crazy holiday hustle and actually enjoy the season of love and giving. Which got me thinking, do we all feel this way about the holidays secretly? For example, I've noticed that my mom, Lovey Mom, sometimes seems a bit stressed about baking holiday cookies. Mom, if you're reading this and I know you are because you're one of those awesome moms who actually reads her grown daughter's blog about minimalism, I want to say this, we don't come to your house for the cookies, although they are delicious.
We come to see you, to love you, to enjoy the season of giving because we are lucky enough to be with those we love. If it stresses you out, skip the baking. I'll love you just as much over-package of holiday-themed Oreos. In fact, I'm inordinately curious to find out if the red holiday filling tastes different from the everyday white.
There, I've said it. Mom, you're off the hook for the cookies if you want to be. No, this doesn't no way apply to the anchovy spaghetti you make for Christmas Eve. That stays.
The holiday hustle stress stems entirely from the expectations we put on ourselves. No one else really expects us to have the best lighting display in the neighborhood, or fill each of our children's stockings with themed presents. We expect that of ourselves. So my suggestion this holiday season is, let's all give ourselves a break.
Just say no to the hustle. Ignore the stores if you want to. Don't bake unless it brings you joy. Forgo the holiday cards unless licking 200 envelopes is your idea of a good Saturday night.
Please know I am sarcastic, but I don't judge. I've licked my fair share of holiday card envelopes, and may well do so again this year. What do I propose, instead of being a straight-up holiday hustle? Do something you love.
Spread some joy. That's what this season is all about. Greet your neighbors with a cheerful smile and hello. Surprise them by shoveling their driveway when they're not looking.
Note to my neighbors, you are totally welcome to fulfill your need for a cheerful giving in this fashion, and I promise to act very, very surprised. Spend your baking time selecting and donating non-perishable goods for a local food pantry. Better yet, do that with your kids. Have a holiday movie marathon with your friends and copious amounts of holiday snackery.
Basically, teach yourself imposed expectations and just do whatever truly brings you joy this holiday season. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy a package of holiday Oreos, I believe they're already on the shelves. You just listened to the post titled, Halting the Holiday Hustle by Rose Lansbury of RoseLoundsbury.com. Local news is in decline across Canada, and this is Bad News for all of us.
With less local news, noise, rumors, and misinformation fill the void, and it gets harder to separate truths from fiction. That's why CBC News is putting more journalists in more places across Canada, reporting on the ground from where you live, telling the stories that matter to all of us, because local news is big news. Choose news, not noise. CBC News.
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And head to superpower.com and use code old at checkout for an additional $20 off your membership. With this being a special year, more like a crazy year that everyone wishes was over, maybe this year will be different when it comes to expectations we have for ourselves. Maybe we'll be able to think about how people play such a large role in our lives, since many of us aren't seeing people outside of our direct household very often these days. I wonder what kind of holiday season it will be, because one thing is for sure, it will be different this year in some way, for most of us.
Even if we're just a little bit more grateful than usual, that's a step in the right direction in my book. But anyway, thank you to Rose for this post, a great one on the last day of the month leading us right into December in the holiday season. But thank you for being here. I'll be curating articles for you here again tomorrow in December, where your optimal life awaits.