10 Ways to Be the Merry

Bring it on, that’s what I say to the Christmas season.  Bring on the fun, the gifts, the food, the baking, the music, the movies…Bring on the merry! I love Christmas, but you know that.

As a little girl I could hardly wait for Christmas to arrive. When you’re a kid, the longest and slowest days happen between Thanksgiving and December 25th. The only thing to do...count down the days. Enter the advent calendar! The first Sunday of advent I would open a little paper door. and waiting for me—a tiny piece of chocolate. Day after day, another door, another chocolate! And though the waiting was hard, the chocolate made it better,because everything's better with chocolate. On Christmas Eve, I could barely sleep knowing that Christmas was one wake-up away. Now as a grown up girl Christmas seems to come faster and faster.  Early morning on December 20th I look at the calendar and wonder, didn’t summer just end?

A few years ago I made a decision to press pause on the last two weeks of December. I decided to hustle fast the first two weeks and spend the rest of December on the merry. My work rhythm gives me that opportunity (my work is feast or famine, no in-between). I know most of the world has a steady, even workflow. Even so, there is a way to pause in December. It might not look like two weeks, but it can look like rest. 

Rest? Now wait a minute, the title of this article looks like a list of 10 things to do. Oh don’t be fooled, these 10 ways to Be the Merry are about being not doing. Being takes some doing, but not as much as doing takes.  Confused, perfect! Let’s go.

Remember, sometimes the way to bring the merry is to be the merry.

10 ways to Be the merry

1. Rest. Did you know that resting, getting enough sleep and taking short breaks during the day makes you more productive? Activity and productivity are not the same. Running from thing to thing is busy and brings no guarantee of accomplishment. Take a few minutes to Be  Still

 

2. Breathe. Well of course you do this all day every day, but intentional breathing is different. Being mindful of the breaths you take, can slow you down, reduce stress and help you make better decisions.  So set a timer and take a few deep breaths each day-four count in, four count out. Breathe to Be calm

 

3. Stop. Shutdown work before dinner. I guarantee it will all be there in the morning. Shut down social after dinner. I promise you will never miss what you didn’t see. Unplugging makes being present possible. Spend those moments each evening ‘being there’ for friends, family and even your fur-friend. Stop to Be Present.

 

4. Write.  Write down what you like about you and everything you are grateful for. Remember little things and the things we tend to take for granted, add them up when you write them down. Gratitude is a great way to reset a hard day or top off a great day. Write your thankfulness to Be mindful.

 

5. Splurge. Take time to treat yourself to a long hot bath, a matcha tea, a massage, a brisk walk, or those boots you’ve been eyeing. It’s okay to get yourself a gift and to take a little bit of time, just for you. Treat yourself to Be pampered

 

6. Share. Tell the stories of Christmas past. What was your biggest surprise? What was the craziest gift you ever got or gave? What have you always loved about the season? Ask others these same questions this season. Reminisce to Be nostalgic.

 

7. Dance. Host a dance party of one. Sing along to your favorite Christmas song with a hairbrush in hand and DANCE.IT.OUT. Get your friend or family to join in. Let loose to Be silly.

 

8. Create. Everyone is creative, because we are all created in the image of the Creator. Creativity looks different for each of us. You might knit, cook, write, style outfits, paint or imagine everything you read in that novel.  Well, you get the picture. Express your creativity to Be creative.

 

9. Choose. Happiness is all about the circumstances, but joy is not. Happiness is temporary (very temporary). I once heard that a mom is only as happy as her most unhappy child. Anyone? Joy lives above the circumstances. Joy is a choice and not so much a state of mind as it is a state of the heart. Joy brings a peacefulness even in the hard.  Joy comes from a heart set on the eternal. Choose joy to Be joyful.

 

10. Be. Did you know that you are one of a kind? Everything about you was designed. You are exactly who you are intended to be. You are loved deeply by the Father. You have a purpose and a role to play in this amazing love story. Be that. Be the created. Be you. After all, if you aren’t you, who will be?

One last thing. I know I said ten, but I have to add number eleven because it really is number one.  Don’t forget Jesus. Don’t forget Jesus at Christmas. It really is very easy to do. Our world is loud and demanding and rarely applauds silence, solitude and reflection, yet this is what we all desperately need. We need it every day. So, in all the hub-bub of the season, carve a little time for you and carve a larger slice of time for Jesus.

Jesus, a baby born in a barn, laid in a manger traveled to a cross and will one day return.

To find more inspiration on how to be the merry this season, pick up your copy of Bring on the Merry from Candace Cameron Bure today!