Merry Cbristmas 🎄 and Happy Hanukkah to you all! Thank you all for following along with this series. We've explored everything from mindfulness and holiday traditions to creating a rap song and getting more active. I hope that you all appreciate yourselves for having finished this series. Do feel free to revisit the practices as I know that a lot was crammed into what's already a busy time of the year.
Hopefully, if applicable, sometime this month, you will also be able to decompress and slowww down..
Below's the wrap-up for today.
Inspiring Holiday Song: The Christmas Song
Concluding Questions:
How has this series helped you to redefine or deepen your understanding of what brings you joy during the Christmas/holiday/winter season?
What is one practice or activity from the series that you plan to continue or explore further?
Today's Affirmation:
I celebrate the magic of Christmas (Hanukkah/the holidays, winter solstice), both within myself and in the world around me.
Happy Christmas Eve and congrats for making it to this final day of our Trying to Be Christmassy series! 👑 While tomorrow, there'll be a post to wrap-up this series, this lesson is the end of the 13 Days of TTBC.
Well done on making it to this final day in the midst of your other life responsibilities and holiday activities. Again, even if you just listened to a holiday song or skimmed an affirmation, you can still acknowledge yourself for participating in this series. 😊
Below are the activities for today. Whether you do these activities or not, just be sure to be present to the day.
Inspiring Quote: "For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it." — Amanda Gorman
Holiday Activities: At the start or end of the day, take a moment to reflect on the things you are grateful for this Christmas Eve. This could be appreciating the warmth of your home, the company of loved ones, or making it home safely after a busy day.
Reflection Tip: Take a few moments throughout the day to pause, breathe, and be present to the present moment. Notice the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of the day.
Creative Writing Exercise: Assuming the perspective of a large Christmas tree in a shopping mall, what are 3 kind wishes that the tree would give to the shoppers passing by, e.g., 'Wishing them more time, better parking spaces, shorter lines', etc.? If the tree saw you, what are 3 compliments/reassurances that it would give you on Christmas Eve?
Affirmations:
I release any stress or frustration about today.
I am present and grateful for this Christmas Eve.
I welcome the joy and anticipation of Christmas Day.
What are 5 things that you learned about yourself/the holidays over these past 13 days?
Happy Monday and welcome to Day 12 of our Trying to Be Christmassy series. We're nearing the end of this series and the beginning of Christmas. If you haven't had a chance to do the practices in this series, you can always revisit them when time permits. Perhaps you can do it as your version of the 12 13 Days of Christmas.
Inspiring Quote: "Find joy in the simple things."
Holiday Song: "My Favorite Things"
Holiday Activity: Take a photo capturing a favorite holiday moment, item, outfit or view.
Reflection Tip: Reflect on your favorite holiday foods or activities. If relevant, is there a way that you can make those foods or activities healthier? Also, if you're going to indulge during the holidays how can you do so mindfully and with appreciation for the experience?
Creative Writing Exercise: Make a list of your favorite ways to enjoy the holidays and/or to take care of yourself during the winter season.
The Christmas train 🚆 is fast approaching! It'll be Christmas 🎄 in just 3 days. I hope you all are doing well and are managing to stay on top of your holiday activities. If not, no worries. After all, some activities can be ignored, rescheduled or delegated. For Day 11, we're gonna get a li'l sentimental as we'll be doing activities inspired by the Wham! holiday song "Last Christmas".
Side note: This is the 40th anniversary 🕯️ of the bittersweet song.
Inspiring Quote: "Sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can fall together."
Inspiring Holiday Song: "Last Christmas"
Holiday Activity: You can choose between sitting still for 5 minutes in silence or you can listen to "Last Christmas" while you work on decluttering at least 3 items that you are ready to let go of or that you simply haven't gotten around to decluttering. A decluttering tip: You can always take a photo of a sentimental item if you wish to have a memento of it.
Reflection Tip: Reflect on past relationships and identify any lingering emotional baggage. Consider journaling about your feelings, practicing forgiveness (both of yourself and others), reflecting on the lessons learned and focusing on the positive aspects of your present life. The song's theme of giving your heart to someone new can also be interpreted as being open to new experiences and emotional growth. (See also the bonus video below.)
Creative Writing Exercise: Write a letter to your past self about what you've learned from past relationships, or write a letter to your future self about the fulfilling and meaningful life that you're creating for yourself.
Affirmations:
I am worthy of love and happiness.
I am learning and growing from my past experiences.
I am open to new experiences and positive connections.
What are you most relieved to have released today? This could be an item, an emotion or an activity.
Greeting to you all and welcome to Day 10 of our series. There are only 4 days left until Christmas so I hope that you all are progressing well with your holiday responsibilities, as well as, decompressing as needed. While yesterday we reflected on holiday traditions, today we're going to focus on something which can be easily shortchanged during the holidays: physical health. Below are today's song and the activities for today.
Inspiring Quote: "Investing in your health is the best gift you can give yourself this holiday season." Inspiring Holiday Song: "Jingle Bell Rock"
Holiday Activity: Create a festive playlist or enjoy the TTBC playlist and dance to your favorite holiday tunes. (See also videos below.) Reflection Tip: Reflect on how you can get more movement or exercise in during the holidays. Why is it important for you to exercise especially during the holiday season?
Creative Writing Exercise: Describe a healthier and calmer version of yourself at the end of the holiday season.
Affirmations: I am filled with joy and vibrant health.
Daily, my health is improving.
I am gratefully prioritizing my health this holiday season.
What's one thing that you will do to boost your health this holiday season? *If relevant, be sure to schedule the activity and to create a reminder.
Happy Friday and welcome to Day 9 of our Trying to Be Christmassy 🎄 series! Today we're going to learn a bit about how other cultures celebrate Christmas as well as reflect on our holiday traditions. Below is a video of today's song with the lyrics included in case you should wish to singalong. 🎤
(Oh, and if anyone's wondering, from yesterday's activity, the rap songs that I've had AI create about the holidays have been pretty awful. 😁)
I'm learning from doing this series as I just learned yesterday that the singer of "Feliz Navidad", José Feliciano, is actually Puerto-Rican and not Mexican as I had assumed. (He and his wife currently live in Connecticut.)
Inspiring Quote: "Traditions aren't just things we do, they're the threads that connect us to our past and to each other."
Inspiring Holiday Song: "Feliz Navidad"
Holiday Activity: Check online for how Christmas/another holiday is celebrated in other parts of the world or a specific country. (Bonus videos below.) Also, if you know someone who'd be willing to share how Christmas or another holiday is observed in their country or culture, ask them. **Do be mindful when asking as some people may not feel comfortable sharing about their holiday traditions/culture.
Reflection Tip: Reflect on your holiday traditions. Which traditions do you enjoy the most and which traditions could you adjust or remove if you no longer enjoy them?
Creative Writing Exercise: Imagine a character who wakes up in another country whose holiday traditions you've checked on. Briefly describe how they spend Christmas (or another holiday/observation) in the country. You can focus on a specific moment in the morning/evening.
Affirmations:
I embrace diverse holiday traditions and learn about different cultures.
I honor my traditions while being open to positive change.
I celebrate connection and goodwill during the holidays.
What surprised you the most about how other countries or a specific country observe Christmas/another holiday?
or
What can you wear for the holidays to help you better connect with the holidays, your culture or family traditions?
Yesterday, I made a YouTube playlist of the songs from the Trying to Be Christmassy series including some additional holiday songs. To get you more into the holiday spirit or simply to enjoy some music, you can listen to the Trying to Be Christmassy playlist here. 🎶
Happy Thursday and welcome to Day 8🎄 ! Christmas is less than a week away. If you want, you can reverse engineer your Christmas Day by thinking of what needs to get done by the 25th and what you can do now to ensure that the tasks are done. This tip also applies to me so please don't feel that I'm the paragon of Christmas readiness: I'm not (yet).
Below are the activities for today. As a reminder, and given other priorities, it's more realistic to do just one of the activities below instead of attempting all of them. Again, no pressure with this series. The most important thing to do is to take care of yourself during this holiday season as my cold is reminding me. : )
Tidbit: One of the things that I like about the video below is that it includes DMC's adoptive mom, Banna McDaniels.
Inspiring Quote: "Rhymes so loud and proud, you hear it / It's Christmastime and we got the spirit" — Run-DMC, "Christmas in Hollis"
Inspiring Holiday Song: "Christmas in Hollis"
Holiday Activity: Learn a simple hip-hop dance move or listen to another holiday-themed rap song. **For the dance move, please be sure to stretch ahead of time.
Reflection Tip: For a local organization or the cause or organization that you checked on in Day 2, reflect on how you can support it. Some ideas are to educate yourself more on it, share about it with others, sign petitions for related causes, volunteer or donate to the organization/cause.
Creative Writing Exercise: Write a few rap verses about Christmas in your hometown or use an AI app like Suno to create the song. (For your hometown, you can choose your current location or your place of origin.) Affirmations:
I feel loved and appreciated.
I strengthen my compassion and patience this holiday season.
I enjoy expressing myself creatively.
Beyond the holidays, how can you maintain and nurture your creative spirit throughout the year?
I just wanted to include this reminder that while the Trying to Be Christmassy series is related to connecting to the Christmas/holiday energy and hopefully bringing some calm to this holiday season. I am aware that there are serious concerns happening in the world today. I live in the US and am partially aware of the threats posed by the upcoming administration within the US and abroad. I say "partially" because I'm sure that there are more threats that I'm unaware of.
Nationwide, women in the US no longer have equal access to reproductive care, including abortion, due to the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade.
There are threats to round up people and deport them including American citizens by stripping them of their citizenship.
For some people, there seems to be less concern for others as long as they're not directly impacted. Kinda like this "Too bad for you: I got mine" attitude.
I'm writing this not to throw a damper on anyone's holiday's energy, but to acknowledge that most of us can't duck our heads into the sand. While it's helpful to appreciate the holidays, it's also useful to be aware of current events and causes that you're concerned about.
We all have to stay mindful about our sources of information including the information that we receive from others. I, too, am not perfect in this and have had people correct me on information that I've given or I've realized that I've had to update a belief.
Side note: They're different. Misinformation is incorrect information unintentionally given. Disinformation is inaccurate information knowingly given usually to support an ulterior motive.
Also, although this series has been co-created with AI. AI definitely makes errors so be sure to check its information as possible to ensure its reliability. For instance, I almost posted a quote that AI attributed to Stevie Wonder, but when I checked online, it was attributed to St. Luke. : /
Finally, if you need to take a break from the news/activism/this series/holiday activities, allow yourself to take a break and recharge. No one benefits from your burnout.
As a single person, it's especially important that you take care of your mental, physical, emotional and financial health. If checking in on the news weekly and learning a bit more about a social justice organization or simply keeping yourself emotionally balanced, is the extent of your activism that's understandable. Given the preponderance of disinformation, I feel that even refraining from being overly reactive is an act of activism.
Know and honor your limits with news, activism, the holidays, etc.
OK, this intermission has concluded. Thank you all for following along with this series and may you all stay well. If you're interested, below are some additional resources:
Organizations List by the Advocate of 26 activist organizations including the ACLU, Climate Science Legal Defense Fund, GLAAD, Planned Parenthood, etc.
Good morning, all, and Happy Wednesday! Welcome to Day 7 🎄 of this pop-up blog series. Thank you all for continuing to follow along with these posts. Today's activities pertain not just to the holidays, but to other times of the year, i.e., discovering your unique talents and appreciating your gifts or even perceived quirks. Below's the song and activities for the day.
Inspiring Quote: "Embrace your uniqueness. Your differences are what make you shine."
Inspiring Holiday Song: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
Holiday Activity: Compliment someone/yourself for a quality that others may take for granted/consider to be quirky.
Reflection Tip: Reflect on a time you felt different or excluded and how you overcame it.
Creative Writing Exercise: Write a poem about an outcast who discovers their unique talent during the holidays.
Affirmations:
I am unique and special.
I embrace my individuality.
I am strong and resilient.
What are 2 things that you can do to infuse the holidays with your unique personality and gifts?
Good morning, all! Welcome to Day 6 🎄 of our pop-up blog series. Congrats to those of you that are keeping up with this challenge or at least managing to read these posts. 🙂
Today's we'll be enjoying the music 🎶 of Donny Hathaway, as well as observing and appreciating holiday/wintry decorations/settings. You can start listening to today's song...NOW! 🚀
Inspiring Quote: "The magic of the holiday season is in the little details."
Inspiring Holiday Song: "This Christmas"
Holiday Activity: Observe the Christmas decorations, if any, in your surroundings. Are there any decorations which you especially admire or that you could incorporate in your home décor? **An alternative activity is to observe how the season's transitioning into winter and how you could incorporate that into your surroundings.
Reflection Tip: Journal about your holiday activity. Did observing the holiday decorations uplift you or annoy you? If you did the alternative activity, how did noticing the changing season make you feel?
Creative Writing Exercise: Write a short story about a home that brings holiday joy to people due to its magical Christmas decorations. Affirmations *I'm a li'l under-the-weather so no audios until I feel better.*
I release any anger, resentment or sadness about the holidays.
I am connecting to my positive holiday energy.
I am open to receiving the insights of the season.
Who can you appreciate for their holiday energy/décor/compassion?
Greeting to you all and Happy Monday! Gosh, I'd practically forgotten about this song, but it came up on my feed on Friday night so I had AI create activities related to it. Although this song was written nearly 60 years ago, its message still resonates.
Hopefully, regardless of what the day brings, you can find or create a moment of peace and calm for yourself.
Inspiring Quote: "Hope for a brighter future starts with the choices we make today."
Inspiring Holiday Song: "Someday at Christmas"
Holiday Activity: Perform an intentional act of kindness for someone online or offline. This could include helping someone in need, leaving a kind comment online or even perhaps pausing before having a negative response to someone..
Reflection Tip: Journal about a time you experienced or witnessed acts of kindness and how it impacted you.
Creative Writing Exercise: Write a short story about a brief moment in a world where peace and love prevail.
So. I realized that I had overlooked one of the fundamentals for doing a challenge, i.e., defining the goal(s). An additional fundamental, too, is knowing my why for the Trying to Be Christmassy🎄 series. Basically, I started this series because I was thinking that it'd be interesting to see what holiday-related activities AI could come up with for holiday songs. Also, I was reflecting on how it didn't really feel like Christmas to me. Not that I had the blahs, but simply I didn't have a strong sense that it was the holiday season apart from occasional moments of seeing holiday items in the grocery store or observing some holiday decorations in my area.
In a way, I do know my "why" for the series, but why does it matter to feel Christmassy? There are other things that I could preoccupy my time with that, frankly, are probably more important than this. That, in a way, is another reason for doing this series: If I don't, the time will likely whizz by overrun by other non-holiday activities or possibly too overextended by holiday activities to be present to the season.
My reasons for feeling Christmassy are to:
Appreciate the holiday season
Be present to the holidays, i.e., to avoid wondering where the holidays went once they'd passed
To connect with the holiday/Christmas energy, in the sense, of having something to look forward to, enjoying holiday experiences, connecting with others
Knowing my why, i.e., to appreciate the holiday season and to be present to the holidays, etc., also overlaps with defining my goal. For that question, I'd additionally include to:
Feel calmer during the holiday season
Be better prepared which includes having my space feel holiday-ish, plan better so as to shop more strategically (ideally!), be more calmly ready for holiday outings (again ideally)
Another question that can help me to feel Christmassy is what are some things that I can do to feel more holiday energy 🎄?
Balance time with others with quiet time
Observe and appreciate holiday decorations, music, attire and food!
Watch holiday-themed YouTubes/movies
Learn about the holidays
Wear more holiday-ish colors
Make my home feel cozier
Find more opportunities to add cinnamon to food
Refill my diffuser with peppermint essential oils
Post and as possible do the TTBC series
Do the cool holiday journal workbook that my sis created
Sleep more
Practice staying calm and compassionate during potentially stressful holiday moments
Well, it's getting late, but this entry has been useful as a way of better reflecting on my Christmassy series, and, hopefully, it's allowed you to also reflect on your version of "Christmassy" or even helped you with pinpointing your outcome for desired goals.
I don't intend on doing all of the things that I listed for feeling more Christmassy, but if I do a handful that'd be helpful.
Also, remembering to practice self-care and to be patient is especially important during the holidays.
And for whatever wandering soul happened upon this post in the blogosphere, what does feeling more Christmassy mean to you?
Additionally, is there an interest/activity in your life which may be neglected as it seems frivolous compared to your other priorities? If the interest/activity is enjoyable/meaningfulto you, is there a way that you could schedule time for it?
Thanks for reading this post and for following along with this holiday series!
Good morning and welcome to Day 4 of Trying to Be Christmassy 🎄! I hope for today's activity you're able to reflect on how you can experience more calm and joy this holiday season. Hopefully, today's holiday song brings a bit of cheer to your day.
Additionally, if you're experiencing wet/challenging weather, hopefully you're able to stay safe and warm.
I understand that doing both the Reflection Tip and Creative Writing Exercise can take time so feel free to choose just one, if that appeals to you. Also, if simply listening to the song is more your style for the TTBC series, then feel free to do that as well.
OK, Day 4 commences...
Inspiring Quote: "Find joy in the simple things and embrace the magic of the season."
Inspiring Holiday Song: "Wonderful Christmastime"
Holiday Activity: List 3 activities that you can delegate, remove or reschedule so that you can feel calmer during the holidays. **It'd probably be best to do this activity after reflecting on your ideal holiday season.
Reflection Tip: Imagine how you would like to ideally spend this holiday season.
Creative Writing Exercise: Write a short story about your ideal Christmas/wintry day.
This weekend, I'll include a bonus post as I realize that I've overlooked one of the fundamentals, defining the goal. That could probably help me to feel more in the holiday spirit. In the meantime, today's activity is below:
Inspiring Quote: "Embrace the unexpected and believe in the magic of possibility." Inspiring Holiday Song: "Gabriel's Message"
Holiday Activity: Spend time in nature – go for a walk in the woods or simply observe the beauty of the winter sky. Reflect on the wonder of the natural world. Alternative: spend about 5 minutes calmly observing nature from your window or watch a video of natural scenery. Reflection Tip: Journal about a time in your life when you felt a sense of awe and wonder, perhaps witnessing a breathtaking sunset, experiencing a moment of grace, or encountering unexpected kindness. Creative Writing Exercise: Write a poem or short story inspired by the imagery of the song – snow, stars, the message of hope.
Well, on a scale of 1-5, my Christmas energy is at about 0.5 Playing some holiday music has helped, but I'm thinking that perhaps I may have to do a couple of other things. Perhaps.
Contrary to this pop-up blog, I'm not really making a big deal of being in the holiday spirit because, to me, that'd be kinda silly thing to stress about.
This is just something to do to potentially feel more Christmas/holiday energy.
Also, an FYI, I'm not expecting someone to finish all of the suggested activities. I definitely am not having that same expectation of myself although there's nothing wrong if someone does decide to be a holiday superstar and go for it!
Also, also, feel free to ignore/modify an activity/a song, if it doesn't resonate with you.
This has turned into a long preamble...let's get to Day 2.
Inspiring Quote: "May the energy of compassion guide your actions, bringing joy to yourself and others.."
Inspiring Holiday Song: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
Holiday Activity:Check online for a cause that you're interested in or curious about.
Reflection Tip:Reflect on the importance of kindness and compassion.
Creative Writing Exercise:Write a poem about the meaning of Christmas/the holidays/changing seasons.
I have a bit of an itch to briefly post a blog series, "Trying to Be Christmassy"🎄 related to attempting to feel more Christmassy. I'm also posting this series on another site. (Most of the content is AI generated although the prompt and music selections are my own.)
No obligation on following along with the series as I understand that life is busy and there are a lot of things happening in the world today.
photo credit: christiyana kruger
Hope you all are doing and staying well!
Oh, if you're interested, my wonderful sis has a coaching and writing business that she's working on growing. If you wish to check out her website or learn more about her business, you can view it here: She Writes On Water
