RUSH or PAUSE: The Essential Strategy for Navigating Holiday Chaos

As the 2024 Holiday Season begins, you may already be feeling the familiar rush of festivities, shopping, and social gatherings. But that's not all you might be feeling. There might be other familiar feelings rising up - the stress of endless to-do lists, the anxiety of trying to make everyone happy, the pressure to keep up with the perfect holiday Instagram feed.

In the midst of all this excitement, it's easy to forget the true spirit of the season. This year, I invite you to make a conscious choice to shift from Rush, Overlook, and Suppress to Pause, Notice, and Express.

The Two Paths of the Holiday Season

You have a choice to make this holiday season. You can choose to rush through the holidays, overlooking the things that truly matter and suppressing your true feelings. Or, you can choose to pause, notice the beauty and wonder around you, and express your gratitude and love.

The path of Rush, Overlook, and Suppress is a well-worn one. It's the path of stress, anxiety, and dissatisfaction. It's the path of feeling overwhelmed and empty, even in the midst of abundance. It's the path that leads you to wonder, "Is this all there is?"

But there's another path, a path that's less traveled, but more fulfilling. It's the path of Pause, Notice, and Express. This path is rooted in gratitude, love, and mindfulness. It's the path of connection, joy, and wonder.

Shifting from Rush to Pause

So, how do you make the shift from Rush, Overlook, and Suppress to Pause, Notice, and Express? It’s more simple than you may think! Pause, Notice, Express are the core elements of gratitude that comprise the Gratitude Advantage Framework?. By incorporating these elements into your daily life, you can cultivate a deeper sense of appreciation and joy.

Here are a few practical tips to get you started:

• Take time to PAUSE each day – you may find natural times to pause at meals or breaks. You may choose to program pause breaks into your schedule and put these 5 - 10 shift sessions on your calendar.??
• NOTICE the beauty and wonder around you, from the twinkling lights, to the aroma of trees and cookies, or the kindness of strangers.
• EXPRESS your gratitude and love to those around you, whether it's through a kind word, a thoughtful gift, or a listening ear.

It's not always easy, of course. The rush of the holidays can be overwhelming, and it's tempting to get caught up in the chaos. But by choosing to pause, notice, and express, you can create a more meaningful, joyful, and fulfilling holiday season.

PAUSE NOW

What if you start right now?

Take a moment to pause and notice something good in your life. What do you notice that you are grateful for? Send a friend a text or share a comment below and let's celebrate the good things together!

If you're ready to dive deeper into the Gratitude Advantage Framework?, please join me in the Beginner's Guide to Gratitude: it’s a free five-day e-course that will help you cultivate gratitude in your life and leadership -- in about 5 minutes a day!

My wish for you now and in this holiday season is that you will have a fresh experience of gratitude. That you will find things to be grateful for that you’ve never noticed before and as you express gratitude for those people, places, or things that you’ll experience new levels of peace, joy, and abundance.

I’M GRATEFUL FOR YOU and appreciate you joining me on this journey!