Because the Christmas season is so close to the New Year, it’s often a time of reflection and evaluation of the last 12 months. Most years, we are too busy to stop and reflect along the way because life happens. Needless to say, 2020 has been a different experience. The busyness of getting places, whether the commute or the carpool, has been removed and has been replaced with closer proximity – of both space and relationships.
2020 likely revealed quite a bit about our relational health with every passing month.
2020 likely revealed quite a bit about our relational health with every passing month.
So what are you going to get for Christmas?
I’m not sure what will be under your tree or in your stocking, but it’s probably no secret what will be revealed about the health of your relationships, because you likely already know.
I hope it’s all good. Perhaps you made some much-needed course corrections as the year unfolded, and now you will enjoy the satisfaction and fulfillment of loving and being loved. If for some reason that is not your Christmas this year, don’t despair. The good news is the story is not over yet.
Here are several gifts to exchange, pun intended, in the year ahead.
Exchange number one:
Focus on your outlook, rather than your outcome.
You can only control one of the two. Take a guess which one it is.
Exchange number two:
Prioritize relationships over work.
One will outlast the other. Take a guess which one it is.
Exchange number three:
Prioritize time for self care over other demands.
One is easier to put off until later. Take a guess which one it is.
If you don’t take care of you, who’s going to take care of the people you love?
Rev. Greg Griffin is a Board Certified Pastoral Counselor and Forgiveness Coach in private practice in Marietta, GA. His specialty is relationship repair and rescue- helping partners, spouses, and parents and their adolescents. He’s also the author of Dungeon Times Survival Guide, and Vital Faith.