This Glorious Season

“It’s already December?” is a common utterance this time of year. It hardly seems possible to think an entire year has passed since the last holiday season, yet here we are. Here, too, are the frantic shopping trips, madness at the mall and hectic days of baking, cooking, cleaning and decorating. And let’s not forget the wrapping, work parties, parties at friends’ house, parties for friends at your house… shall I go on?

It’s an exciting time of year, to be sure. All the same, with so much do-ing, our be-ing is often left to cope with the consequences of all that busy-ness. This can leave us feeling “out of alignment” – drained and bottomed out – lacking energy when we need it most.

The good news is that we remain at choice. And for some, noticing that “bottoming out” feeling is enough to raise awareness of ways we can take better care of ourselves, engaging only in what truly matters. For many people, the antidote to feeling tapped out is to clear the decks and funnel their energy into helping others.

On the surface, that might not seem to make sense. How can we find energy to give, when it already feels like there’s not enough energy to manage our own lives? (more…)