The Block

The Holidays have a common theme. This is for those with the holiday blues.
 
The psychology of Christmas is rooted in our innate need for social connections, emotional attachment to holiday traditions, and the positive feelings and behaviors associated with the season, including altruism, goodwill, and generosity. 

Like any other holiday or idea, after so many years you can loose sight of many original ideas. The holidays have become a mindset for some. I like to remind Jedi and everyone when all seems lost or you get a bit on the isolated feeling during the holiday's, remember why they are. If you get lost, return to the original idea(s). Here are a few ideas during these holiday times that may help. 

(Check the lights)
Make new connections or work on the old ones that need our attention.
Revisit old traditions and make new ones. Check on lost loves or old ones and friends. Some relationships need a dusting. Fire them back up. Some may need to be exactly where they are.

(Check your perspective)
Reflect for the year. Actually review the year and see what is what or in this case, what was what. What has actually happened this season? The holiday can be for reflection as well. How did we get to the place we are at now in life?

(Find your season)
There are so many things that can be available during the season, I will give you examples. Some have a tree they return to. Some have a place they return to during the holidays. For some it is food or the time off.
Music tends to join humans in a common way to stop and listen more. There is a magic in the music. Revisiting people you have lost touch with seems to be one of many hallmarks of the season. 

(Explore more)
 Pick a reason to connect again at the end of the year. Make plans but let them be open and ready for what a new year will bring. There is a benefit to being prepared but do understand life can and will change as life ebbs and flows. How do our seasons ebb and flow?

(Accountability) 
Do this for yourself. Who or what are you accountable for this season? If you are not the one who has any task or responsibility, grab one or aid some one who struggles. See (Check the Lights.) Break the effort to become a part of things unknowingly. Try being accountable this season to something or some one if you are not already. Become a part of your circle. Lift your circle of connections up.

(Start it this next year) 
Make a plan for the year. See how much you can get done. Sometimes just having an itinerary can get things in a forward motion. Write down what plans you have this year or in the next years to come.
 Organizational reflection is the practice of taking time away from the daily routine of business to evaluate past actions, generate knowledge based on those evaluations, and create action plans for implementing that knowledge. It involves contemplation of tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge, and experiences to create new information, knowledge, and ideas that can be used to address challenges. 

(Be generous) 
Generate goodwill. This is the most hardest for a selfish person like me. What does true generosity look like and would we recognize it if we saw it in action? Do we understand it enough to have a working knowledge of it and a way to encourage others to do so? Not in monetary value, give in a generous manner what is in our Code. It is the hope to give without the hope of receiving. It  is kind of like mixing the soup. Just give it a stir.

The seasons come with the idea of the selfless. What version are we developing during this season? Are we fatigued, exhausted or at our limit with the holidays? Is there rest in the holidays? 

Take some to think about what this season is for you and for those around you. The holiday seasons are not joyful and triumphant for everyone. There are a few things we can do to beat the holiday blues. You are not alone. Reach out to those who are present. 

May the Force be with you all this holiday season

Pastor Carlos