A road away from Stress.

A road away from Stress.

Are you being thankful for what you did accomplish?

pile of booksFrom time to time I find myself in the midst of a busy week.  I take one thing off the to-do list and another goes on.  This is not bad or good, it just is.  I came home from the day’s work and had not completed the list I wanted for that day.  I was sharing with my wife, ok complaining, that I did not complete my list.  I was frustrated with my limited capacity.

 

Then my wife asked a great question.  In the moment though, I did not understand what she was getting at until I finished answering her question.  She patiently waited for me to share my answer to the question.  Then said, “why not celebrate and be thankful for what you did accomplish.”

Her question was “what did you accomplish today?”  It was a great reality check question.  We need to ask such a question from time to time to gain a better perspective of our situation in life.

 

Sometimes my expectations keep me looking at what I did not accomplish this week or day.  Expectations can help drive us, but we need to celebrate and be thankful for what we have accomplished.  It can be exhausting always running after the list that never ends.

 

Perhaps you find you have a long list and feel frustrated at not completing it.  Ask yourself, what have I completed, have I taken steps in the right direction today.  Celebrate and be thankful.

 

Perhaps at the end of your day, you can create a celebration or thankful list.  You can do this mentally or write it down.  Writing it down is a great way to help process your thoughts and also lets you look back on your life.

 

Here is some help to get started, it will just take five minutes.

 

What can you celebrate from your day?

 

What steps to accomplishing a task or tasks did you complete?

 

What do you have to be thankful for in your day?

 

Being thankful is a road to helping you relieve stress and gain perspective.

7 Tips to get the most out of Christmas

7 tips (1)1. Community

Make time for real relationships.  For many there are lots of opportunities, but what relationship should you focus on? The tension this time of year could be having too many opportunities. Which ones will help you live in who God has called you to be? For some, you may want to pull away, but also make it a point to connect with people.  

It does not always have to be expensive or elaborate, but keep it simple. We were made for relationships. A relationship can enrich our life, so this Christmas be intentional with your community.

2. Pick up a Spiritual Discipline

This is a great time to try or pick up a Spiritual discipline for a season.  The role of the spiritual discipline is intentional development of our relationship and intimacy with Jesus.  It is a deliberate self-imposed habit to foster spiritual growth in one’s life and community.  

Consider a Discipline of Abstinence such as solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, or sacrifice.

3. Specific Serving

Jesus is the neighbour who came to serve.  Many this time of year jump on the bandwagon of serving in organizations. That is important, but consider being specific in your serving this year. It is as we serve others that we become more like Christ.  

Instead of just giving money to an organization, which you should still do,  consider a single adult or family that you could invest in personally.  Find ways to bless them over the four weeks of advent and week of Christmas.  

4. Find a devotional to lead you through the advent themes in scripture

Staying in God’s word always has a great impact in fostering our walk with Jesus and helping us enter, engage and experience the life  we were created for.  It helps us know who God is, which can help us know who we are and what we are to do.

5. Check your expectations.

What we focus on matters as it sets our direction.   During the Christmas season, we need to check our expectations.  Many have an expectation of themselves and each other that are not realistic.  Choose to be simple and enjoy the little things. 

6. Take rest

Be sure to take the time to rest.  There are three elements to this rest.  First it is breaking from the normal routine of life, second is finding things that are restorative, and third, get physical sleep.

7. Spend less

Here in Canada, it is so easy to think you need to spend money to enjoy Christmas.  There is a place for money, but make a budget and stay within it.  Money can be a stresser for many,  so remember that Christmas is about more than how much you spend.  

What would you add to the list?