Make this Season about Others: Notice Them!

Maybe it's the fact that I woke up feeling sick this morning and am drugged up on decongestants & already multiple cups of honey vanilla chamomile tea with lemon, but my "We-not-me" Wednesday is a little deep today.

We're embarking on the Holiday Season- seriously like 25 business days till Christmas- and there are opportunities ALL around us to make this season not about us but about others just by being aware.

Start saving coins now and notice the Salvation Army bell ringers as they start next Friday. You don't have to give money all the time (or any of the time really)- but you can ALWAYS smile & acknowledge them. As I'm running to the next store to get more Christmas things, they're braving the elements and worse, putting up with people avoiding their eyes and rushing by trying to ignore them.

Speaking of rushing around, be aware of when you are in a hurry. Why are you in a hurry? Are you just rushing through a self-imposed unrealistic to-do list? Slow down. Be aware of the customer service people. My fav question, um ever, is to ask "They keepin' you busy enough today?" Whatever their answer is, I follow up with something that includes, "Well, we appreciate you!" Now, I'm pretty sure my husband is over me asking this to literally EVERY checkout person we encounter, but I feel like I'm doing my small part to keep someone else sane- which is a community service!

If you're an agenda person, allot an extra 5 minutes to every activity this season, just to smile, chat with folks, notice a child's happiness as they pick out gifts for others, etc. It doesn't take money to be a fabulous person.