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By: Leticia Mancera
The end of the year approaches troubling, making us feel something is yet pending to do or finish. Maybe a goal set or a commitment made. We feel Christmas time arriving with its collateral effects, taxes, house maintenance, Christmas bonus investment, gift shopping and an endless list of “pending” matters that actually “hang” like earrings and backpacks affecting our emotional and mental peace, diminishing the real pleasure of Christmas holidays. Believer or not, Christmas is time for family and joy.
We sometimes forget all our accomplishments, leaving them aside and focusing only on what we didn´t do. Sometimes we reprimand ourselves instead of congratulating ourselves for what we did.
December is a month of thought, closure and evaluation. Take note and give worth to all those commitments and actions that took up your time, accomplished and gave you an opportunity to learn and grow. We tend to be hard with our performance leaving little tolerance with the outcome of our acts. Many times we see the glass halfway empty instead of halfway full when it’s really at the middle.
Leaving aside procrastination we should observe our commitments as an outsider, as an impartial observer – Contemplate. Think about a commitment not accomplished, describe it a short sentence with maximum 6 words to it, you may write it down. Now focus all your attention in finding out what impedes you to accomplish it while working on the following exercise.
Use the drawing shown, a ¨mandala¨, contemplate the situation and as you color the drawing let the real reason that impedes your accomplishment be revealed unto you. Keep focused on the phrase, do not distract your attention, and choose colors or strokes to paint it, keeping your mind away from any other thought. Just flow – Meditate. Observe how the real obstacle is revealed giving you the opportunity to reconsider it.
Many times we make commitments that are not imperative. We should give priority to our commitments in order of importance. Clearly establish the level of importance and label them with short, medium and long term. Define short and long term in months. Long term, let’s say more than 12 months, should not distract attention of what is important to your emotional wellbeing. Try to live here and now, regardless of social engagements.
Take time these last weeks of the year to evaluate your actions month by month. Set a value from 1 to 5, being 5 the maximum score of importance. Count your accomplishments and give them value. On the other hand, count your non-accomplishments and score them as well. Count the result and without judgment appraise it. Now, eliminate or reestablish them for next year if worthwhile doing so.
Now, go and celebrate the Christmas Season. Namaste.
