WELL, FOLKS...
 

We've hit the halfway mark. It's three weeks into the Holiday Refresh, and we’ve made some strides. Our intentions and paths may be individual, but this has been a collective effort of growth and movement. Last week, that meant aligning our agendas, bringing us closer to our intentions by…

• allowing for more time spent on the task, rather than the preparation for the task

• reducing three to-do lists into one (much more manageable)

• quieting the buzz of last-minute worries and returning to the present moment knowing that things will work out, regardless of the minor details

This challenge has both prompted and revealed something: life is not static. It ebbs and flows along the spectrum of chaos and alignment. How we react along that movement is what defines us as human beings. The good news is that we get lots of second chances! But it's up to us to use those chances to reflect, learn and grow. This helps us to see that we have the power to choose our response in times of added pressure, like the holidays (of course, sometimes it is out of our hands, but you get the idea!)

This season touches on some of the most fundamental reasons why we live our lives - family, faith, food, celebration. It can be so beautiful. It can also be a time when we all ‘drink the eggnog’ and begin going through the same motions as everyone else. We may lose sight of the beauty of family, faith, food, and celebration when we plug in like robots chasing after the same Hallmark scenes.

This week, let’s put down the (metaphorical) eggnog and get off the prescribed track. That’s where the magic really is. It manifests in small, surprising moments like car rides with siblings, rolling meatballs with extended family, wrapping a gift, writing a note, or setting the table.

HOLIDAY REFRESH: MICRO-CHALLENGE #4
Make Magic In Small Moments.

Whether you’re transitioning from one place to another or settling in to complete a long task, there’s an opportunity to reflect and realign. It’s a chance to recommit to our intentions, to straighten our spines and stand up tall. It’s a time to strengthen ourselves to the winds of chaos, riding only on the ones that carry us closer towards our goals and values.

Within these pockets of time, the chance to make magic lies in wait. Maybe you...

• Breathe consciously while doing a task or project (or while at a party or in a crowded place or sitting in traffic or watching tv with the fam)

• Turn the kitchen into one part food prep, one part dance party

• Belt out your favorite song in the car (even though you're sitting in traffic and the people on either side of you think it's weird)

• Clean the house with a partner before guests arrive (everything’s better together, right?)

• Smile. Any activity or moment can be improved when you smile (even if you have to fake it)

• Calm a racing heart by listening to soothing tunes (for Gina, that’s George Winston’s December)

EXTEND THE CHALLENGE

One of our common laments is: “I don’t have enough time.” We live in a society that praises us for wearing busy-ness as a badge of honor. Three years ago, after Mollie said these exact words to a friend, her friend replied in a way that she'll forever relive and appreciate: she laughed and said, “You have 15 minutes.”

And she was right. Use 15 minutes to align in just one small way. See if it makes a difference.

• Make a cup of hot tea and sip it slowly.

• Lay on your back on the floor and just breathe.

• Walk around your block and smile at your neighbors.

BONUS INSTAGRAM CHALLENGE

Post a picture of a small moment that you won’t find on a Hallmark card, but was magical for you.

Remember, we’re giving away a handmade pottery piece for a lucky Instagram participant at the end of the Refresh. Any post you tag with #GFJholidayrefresh enters you in the drawing.

You can also write to us about how you made magic in small moments. We’d love to share your experiences in next week’s email.

From Presents to Presence,
Gina + Mollie + Taylor + Dorothy