Okay, hear this Atlanta Counselor out. out. I know you have probably gotten super defensive at this point. Christmas is many people’s favorite holiday. I’m simply proposing an idea to radically shift the way we do Christmas.
Think about it for a minute. While aspects of Christmas can be fun, other aspects of it are daunting. Christmas has turned into a holiday that major retailers love. Why? Because they know there is more and more pressure for Americans to spend money on presents.
With all of the parties, get-togethers, meals, presents, and activities, it can be hard to track where money and time go. Despite all of the positive things that should be celebrated during the Christmas season, many are left frustrated, sad, angry, resentful, and stressed after the season. If you dig a little deeper you’ll find that the need for love, laughter, and deep connection is left unmet due to busy schedules, overspending, and lack of connection.
What if we did things differently? Instead of spending all of our time, energy, and money on finding the perfect present for people, why don’t we find more ways to connect with and cherish people. We can find ways to balance our spending, and our time. The benefit to balancing is that it provides the opportunity to create deeper, more meaningful connections during the Christmas season.
It can be difficult to set boundaries and find ways to balance. That’s a whole different article. For now, I would like to encourage you to think about the reason for the season. Think about what you really want, and who you really want to connect with. Don’t overspend on things that are unnecessary. Don’t overcommit yourself to activities that are not beneficial.
“Take the time to make meaningful connections” – Atlanta Counselor
I’m not telling you to stop buying gifts. I’m encouraging you to thinking about fostering healthy, meaningful connections this season, and to allow gifts to be an extension of that.
