Oh no, here we go. When Halloween passes I start to feel holiday anxiety. I want to take down my Halloween decor and start putting up the Christmas lights as fast as I can. I have a need, not unlike Clark Griswold, to put up as many lights as possible. I feel pressure to decorate, shop, plan, and work, work, work. Why do I do this to myself?
If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that we need to live more consciously in the moment. I vow to live more in the moment this holiday season and into the new year.
Let me smile more each day. I can practice optimism more and minimize stress. Smiling is my face telling my brain that I am really happy with my life. No matter what is happening in any given day, I can vow to smile more and bring myself and others more joy. Offering my optimistic attitude to myself first will help me to set an example for others. If I can keep my brain out of the judgment zone and in the acceptance zone, it will allow for more joy.
Let me forgive myself and others. Resentment and shame are just negative emotions that will build and bring you down. If someone has wronged you, don’t let them keep hurting you by hanging on to the resentment. You can let go of the negative emotion without allowing their continued negativity to affect you. I have had people come in and out of my life and I forgive them a
ll, but it does not mean that I need to actively pursue a relationship with them. Attempting to change someones opinion of you is not a useful exercise. Changing your opinion of yourself is.
Let me chose to love my work. Whether it is my veterinary work, my coaching, or housework, I have the power to choose to love whatever I am doing. Even putting up the Christmas lights in the cold winter wind, can be enjoyable if I chose to think of it that way. I have control over my attitude when it comes to work and play. “Any task you undertake becomes a piece of cake, with a spoonful of sugar” to quote Mary Poppins.
Let me think outside the box. Keeping an open mind and a thirst for learning will open up me world to possibility. The more I read and stay off of social media, the better my life will be. Work on yourself at a pace that feels comfortable, but do not stagnate. A bit of change and challenge each day will help you grow and reach new goals.
Let me let go of one bad habit. My one bad habit is worry. This year I participated in worry so many times. (I guess a pandemic will do that to a girl) Over and over again I thought that I could control outcomes by worrying about them. In not one case did any of the worry make a difference. The worry is a wasted emotion. I have improved over the years, but my personality has a strong grasp on worry. This holiday I will work to let go of that bad habit.
I vow continue to work on myself and live in the moment for the rest of 2020 and into 2021. How about you?
Dr. Julie Cappel
“Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour, but this hour.” ― Walt Whitman
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-veterinary-life-coach-podcast-with-dr-julie-cappel/id1451549730
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