Footless Dolls Can Still Be Loved
Posted on 11. Dec, 2009 by Susan in Inspiration
I really hate it when a doll loses a foot.
You guys know that I am holiday fanatic. I know this is no surprise. I’ve seriously cleaned up all of my Holiday Psycho Woman past stuff, and have a blast during the holidays. That doesn’t mean that everything happens perfectly for me during the holidays. Don’t even get me started on my Dysfunctional Family Bingo Results from Thanksgiving, or how many gifts my beagle Jake has confused as “his toy.”
What’s cool about the season for me now, is my thinking. Clean thinking keeps me calm and centered and happy regardless of negative circumstances that arise. And, when my thinking is clean, I am clear about what I like, and what does not work for me. And from that place, it’s easy to create a holiday season that is authentic.
So, even though yesterday Jake chewed the foot off of a very pretty and unsuspecting doll that was wrapped under the tree for Emily, and even though I attended a party that is not my favorite kind of gathering (because my seriously extroverted husband really wanted me to go with him), it was an awesome day. I chose to be in “the Christmas spirit.” I chose it. Despite the footless doll.
I’ve talked to a lot of people who tell me that they “just aren’t feeling” it this year. Guess what? Holiday Magic is not going to pull up in your driveway and honk three times to get your attention. You have to create it. Despite how much money is in the bank. Despite how much you want to punch your boss. Despite the fact that your son married a life coach. You can be intentional with your thoughts and create holiday cheer. You can. Yes. You.
I’ve got this simple little tool called “The Happy Basket” that sounds lame but really works. It will help you turn toward what you love about the Holiday Season. You can listen to a short two-minute explanation of the tool by clicking here, on the ipod image on my homepage. Then, you can “Holiday Happy Basket” by clicking here to download the free worksheet.
The wise gurus say that life gives you your greatest teachers in your very own home. I believe that. As I was cleaning up the chewed up wrapping paper and doll parts off of the living room floor last night, Emily said, “She’s still beautiful, Mom.” No, this little doll was not headed to the “Island of Misfit Toys.” She was redressed and taken immediately up to Emily’s room. She is loved.
And so are you. Merry Christmas.
My Past As A Holiday Psycho Woman
Posted on 14. Nov, 2009 by Susan in Inspiration
I once spent so much money with Lands End during the holidays that the company sent me a cashmere blanket and a box of chocolates as a “thank you.” My name is Susan Hyatt, and I am a recovered holiday psycho woman.
How you do one thing is how you do EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, how I “did” the holidays five years ago, was over the top, manic, and based almost entirely on the shiny. Shiny gifts, shiny ornaments, shiny windows, shiny catering for a shiny party, shiny holiday portraits, shiny china, shiny holiday newsletters. The glare was too much.
Sure, there were moments of authenticity and fun. But those moments were outnumbered by the crazy moments. Like the time that I tried to make a homemade gingerbread house with my kids, didn’t follow the directions, and it fell apart and onto the floor, along with our moods. Good times.
I’ve learned how to rethink and redesign the holidays, by learning how to think. I even created a really handy workbook and short video coaching download on the topic. And, this year, I’ve teamed up with my coaching colleague and Master Certified Mind Body Expert, Abigail Steidley, to talk about ways to create a meaningful and nourishing holiday season. We will not be talking about things like setting egg timers so that you can race from room to room and get more crap done. I took that class and have a frenzied wrapping paper story to tell you about during class. It wasn’t pretty.
We will be talking about the art of becoming who you want to be, during a holiday season that you want to have, by doing less physically and mentally. Cause believe you me, even when I wasn’t setting egg timers to “efficiently” wrap gifts and bark at my kids, I was sitting around THINKING and OBSESSING about things like stocking stuffers and reindeer food. Exhausting.
What I wish for you this holiday season is to ditch drama, exhaustion, and over commitment. I know first hand this creates a holiday that is unfulfilling, debt ridden, and a whole lot of work. Defeats the purpose of “holiday.”
Read what Abigail has to say here. It’s pretty cool. And join us for a four-week group telecourse that will show you how to easily create what you want. Instead of a shiny holiday, I have one that authentically GLOWS.
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