
What a great time of year! It's a time to be thankful for what we have and enjoy all the festivities that mark a renewal of our hope and faith in the "system" that will carry us toward a bright new year.
Right? So if this is such a wonderful season, how come so many of us wind up in Yucksville? It may have something to do with losing our rational map about the time we made the turn at the Grotto of the Great Pumpkin. Let's see if there isn't something we can do to help brighten up this holiday season just a bit.
1. Focus the real reasons we're celebrating.
It doesn't make any difference if we're celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Boxing Day or New Year's Day ? there is a special significance attached to every holiday. When things start to get out of hand, just take a perspective break to think about why we're observing this special event.
2. Plan ahead.
There are only 24 hours in a day and we need to sleep sometime. By doing just a little planning (and in general, sticking with the plan), we won't be trying to accomplish everything at the last minute. Be sure to include plenty of leisure time just for you and your family or friends so you can step back and enjoy the season together.
3. Budget wisely.
It's not very relaxing to think about having to spend the next year paying off the debts you've accumulated in the spirit of over-zealous giving. Put together a logical budget and stick with it. The basic rule of thumb is "If you ain't got it, don't spend it!"
4. Help others.
It's the season for giving ? and the most precious gift we have is ourselves. Find a way to help those less fortunate. Volunteering our services is a great way to take our minds off of the loneliness some of us may experience at this time of year.
5. Don't over-indulge.
Too much of a good thing ? food, beverages, spending, celebrating ? may be fun at the time but it can also produce moderate to severe consequences. Use a common sense approach to the festivities this season. Position yourself so you will be able to truly enjoy the weeks and months that follow.
About The Author
Gene, through NuPathz.com, provides an easy reading self-help blog, articles, quotations, thoughts and links along with affordable books and materials written to help folks find the road to a more enjoyable lifestyle, to pass on some of life's "secrets for survival" in a chaotic world & offer a few smiles along the way. It's a down-to-earth, simple approach to discovering a better life. You can visit Gene at his website.
AP - The U.N. Security Council has approved a resolution calling for an immediate and durable cease-fire between Hamas militants and Israeli forces now fighting in the Gaza Strip. Thursday night's vote was 14-0 with the United States abstaining.
AP - A key panel unanimously recommended impeachment for Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday, setting up a vote that could make him the first governor to face such fate in Illinois' sordid political history. Blagojevich should lose his job for abusing power, mismanaging government and committing possible criminal acts, including federal allegations he tried to sell off a U.S. Senate seat, the special committee concluded.
AP - President-elect Barack Obama's proposed tax cuts ran into opposition Thursday from senators in his own party who said they wouldn't do much to stimulate the economy or create jobs. Senators from both parties agreed that Congress should do something to stimulate the economy. But Democratic senators emerging from a private meeting of the Senate Finance Committee criticized business and individual tax cuts in Obama's stimulus plan.
AP - The many Bernard Madoff investors who withdrew money from their accounts over the years are now wrestling with an ethical and legal quandary. What they thought were profits was likely money stolen from other clients in what prosecutors are calling the largest Ponzi scheme in history. Now, they are confronting the possibility they may have to pay some of it back.
AP - In grainy cell-phone videos played over and over on the Internet, police officers force an unarmed black man to the ground and hold him face-down on a crowded train platform. Suddenly one of the officers draws his gun and fatally shoots the man in the back then looks up.
AP - U.S. policy to win in Afghanistan must recognize the poor nation's limitations and its neighborhood, especially its intertwined relationship with U.S. terrorism-fighting ally Pakistan, the top U.S. military commander in the region said Thursday.
AP - Two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks couldn't produce a point in the first quarter of the BCS championship game. Tim Tebow and No. 1 Florida and Sam Bradford and No. 2 Oklahoma were scoreless after the first 15 minutes at Dolphin Stadium on Thursday night.
Reuters - The U.N. Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Thursday but Israeli warplanes kept up attacks.
Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama warned on Thursday the U.S. economy could stay mired in recession for years without bold action and he urged lawmakers to work day and night to pass a massive stimulus plan.
Reuters - Financial giant Citigroup Inc will support a proposal in Congress to rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said on Thursday.
Reuters - A legislative committee on Thursday recommended the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing widespread abuse of power including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
Reuters - The United States and its allies share some interests with Iran when it comes to stabilizing Afghanistan, Army Gen. David Petraeus, head of the U.S. military's Central Command, said on Thursday.
Reuters - Accused swindler Bernard Madoff had signed checks totaling more than $173 million in his office desk ready to be sent out before his arrest, U.S. prosecutors said in court papers on Thursday asking a judge to jail him.
Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama named Tim Kaine as head of the Democratic Party on Thursday, rewarding an early supporter with a high-profile political post even as he continues to serve as Virginia governor.
Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc and other top U.S. retailers delivered disappointing December same-store sales and profit warnings on Thursday, sparking fresh recession concerns that hit stock and currency markets.
AFP - The UN Security Council voted to call for an "immediate, durable" ceasefire in the Gaza Strip leading to the "full withdrawal" of Israeli forces, but the United States abstained.
AFP - Hopes for a quick resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe were rising Friday after Russia agreed on the terms for the deployment of monitors in Ukraine.
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