6 Ways to Have the Worst Christmas Ever!

Does it feel like the Grinch stole Christmas this year?

With different parts of the world in complete lockdown, and being told to stay away from gatherings, this is indeed a Christmas season like no other! 

For most, these challenges include not visiting with friends and relatives during the holidays. For others, there is not enough money to buy even a small gift for loved ones. Still others find themselves completely alone and lonely during a time where togetherness is usually celebrated. 

It might be tempting to focus on all the things that are going wrong, so here goes my list of the 6 ways to have the worst Christmas ever, just in case you need a little help:

1. Focus on everything that isn’t going your way. Be sure to tell everyone who will listen about how much your life sucks.
2. Decide that Christmas is a hoax. Some people believe that everything is a hoax these days: fake news, fake virus, fake vaccine, why not fake Christmas?
3. Absolutely, positively do NOT wish anyone a Merry Christmas. Why would we want anyone to be merry? Encourage them to join you in your pity party!
4. Keep all your money, time and talents for yourself. Why share? You worked hard to get to where you are. It’s every man, woman and child for themselves. Especially children, ungrateful little things!
5. Be your own Higher Power. You don’t need any help to shift out of your misery. Part of you enjoys it!
6. Just like a pig enjoys rolling around in its own muck, keep doing the same. It might be stinky, but at least it’s familiar!

I sure hope that none of you really want to have the worst Christmas ever!

How about throwing out that first list and trying some of the following, so that we can all have the BEST Christmas ever?

I have been contemplating just how we navigate all of these challenges with a happy heart. Here are a few tips that might be helpful!

1. Get it out: the first step is to always acknowledge to ourselves that we are feeling sad, angry or fearful. It never works to just pretend that all is well whether we are grieving the loss of a loved one, or the customs that usually bring us joy. Journaling or honestly sharing with a friend or mentor about how we are feeling is an important first step in helping the emotion to come to the surface. Allowing the feeling to wash through us is the only way to find relief. However it works for you, just get those emotions out on the table for goodness sake! Denying or suppressing keeps us stuck in these destructive emotions (what we resist persists.)

• Give it over: once we have acknowledged the feelings, we can ask our Higher Power to help us to surrender them. We are being called into an ever-deepening relationship with the Spirit within, as we navigate through an increasingly challenging time. 

• Refocus: After taking steps one and two, we can consciously choose to shift our attention to something more helpful. Use this time to reflect on all that brings us peace and joy. This might include spiritual readings, singing Christmas Carols, journaling, long walks, writing Christmas cards. I love seeing all the pictures that people have posted of the amazing light displays. So many people have knocked themselves out this year, making these displays bigger and better than ever. What a gift to the communities they live in!

• Give freely: Focus on helping others. One of my neighbours has baked 50 dozen cookies so far to include with hampers for the homeless. Another friend has bought Christmas gifts for a homeless family of 4 little girls. There is a much greater need this year. We can choose to become overwhelmed by the dire circumstances of others, or we can choose to make a positive difference. It is really up to us. 

• Practice gratitude: I’m not talking about the rote practice of I’m grateful for my home, for food in my belly, for my family, although gratitude in these areas is important. I’m talking about going deeper in our Spiritual practice. How about being grateful for our Higher Power, and reflecting on how our faith has carried us through the hard times? How about being grateful for the power of love, and the transformative power it has on our lives? How about being grateful for the beauty and healing power of nature? Most importantly during these times, if we can be grateful for our struggles, we will find that they lose their power over us. Even this virus has brought us many gifts, such as a greater appreciation for things that we once took for granted. What we focus on grows. Focus on gratitude, and our lives will become ever more wonderful!

• Transformation: Lastly, stop to reflect on how Spirit lives inside each one of us. The Christmas story tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and came to save us all from a life of misery. A star guided the three wise men to honour and bring gifts to the babe. Whether you believe the story or not, consider what Jesus represents. Perfect love resides inside every one of us. When we are willing to surrender all our old false beliefs, such as that we are not worthy of love, or that we will be rejected if we extend love to others, our lives are beautifully transformed. In the transformation, we discover that we are meant to honour and gift each other. 

Would you like to learn more about how to:

• undo all of your old beliefs that keep you feeling Grinchy?
• bring about a transformation in your life?
• create a life full of joy, love and peace?

I am excited to invite you to join me starting January 1, as I embark on a new and exciting project. I have been walking a spiritual path for over 30 years, and have been a student of A Course in Miracles (ACIM) for 7 years. The Course has changed my life! It has enabled me to change from being fearful and protective of my innermost self, to being free to both give and receive love. If you would like to know more about how A Course in Miracles has impacted my life, please take a look at the following interview on Theresa McAllicher and Carly Judd Harley’s Facebook page Miracles Attraction Community. You can also listen on their Youtube channel: 

If you are struggling in any way, with depression, anxiety, or just a feeling of “there has to be more to life than this,” please come and join me every day starting January 1 on YouTube at: 365 Days of Love and Miracles. 

This programme is absolutely free, as I want everyone to have the opportunity to embrace a life of love and miracles. 

Please tell your friends to join us. I look forward to seeing you there!

Merry Christmas, dear friends. I love you!