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How To Survive Christmas and New Year

Laden with all the past year’s expectations, emotionally over-charged, and stacked with pressure, Christmas and New Year is often immensely difficult. This year I’ve invented a new system that seems to work on our Life Coaching Holiday, which, with a bit of luck and a seasonal measure of Christmas cheer should work for you as well.

It often feels to me that we have all been lumbered with a somewhat archaic celebration, suited far more to 1810 rather than 2010. I’m sure that 200 years ago a good way to get through the bleak mid winter was to get all your family around, roast a bloody huge farmyard animal and down several foaming pints of mead…. nowadays I’m not so sure.

Modern day living and complex family relationships don’t fit particularly well into a primitive bucolic model of mid winter fun.

So, sticking closely to the original theme of “getting through the bleak mid winter” and keeping it as simple as possible, here is my new model for how to get through Christmas and New Year in 2010:

1. Abandon all obligations and pre-conceived notions of mid winter celebrations
2. Do 3 small things for yourself
3. Do 1 big thing for somebody else
4. That’s it....................

After much thought and several rough drafts here is what I’ll be up to over the holiday season:

3 Small Things For Myself:

Firstly I’m going to the 7 Eleven to buy myself a tube of Pringles; Sour Cream and Cheese flavour. They’ve been taunting me all year with their comparative high price and fat content but this week I’m going to put them in my basket. I might offer a few around but I’m determined to eat most of them myself.

Secondly, I’m going to cycle up to my local market and buy myself a bottle of beer and an orchid for less than I was paid for my first paper round 30 years ago.

Thirdly, I’m going to take a day off and walk into town looking carefully at the architecture that I drive past quickly everyday but always want to look at.

And for the 1 big thing for somebody else….I’m going to take my big old diesel pick up truck to Big C supermarket and fill it full of baby milk, nappies and children’s toys and drive it up to Vieng Ping Childrens Home.

I’m not entirely sure that I’ve captured the total spirit of Christmas but when I think about it all, it feels that I’m on the right lines.

Have a good Christmas and talk to you again in the New Year…..

Bye for now.

Alex.