Relax and Enjoy

You may soon be celebrating holidays with friends and family. It is easy to go overboard with scrubbing, cleaning, cooking, and planning food for an invading army rather than the 10 or so guests you are actually having over. There are better ways to do this, though.

The first and most significant thing you want to do is to relax. This is holiday time. It is not a contest of you against everyone else.  You have nothing to prove. Friends and family accept you as you. And, this is a time for happy banter, not judgment nor pretending. 

Do everything you feel is needed in advance, so you have more time and fewer hassles when others are with you. Try to relax and have fun. I know this is hard, I am one of those who worry about everything and everyone. I have found that I was only making things harder on myself and everyone around me.

Life is more comfortable when you do not hold on so tight that everyone has a hard time breathing.  And no one needs to be the center focal point at all times.  Share the laughter, and share some of the work.  People feel better when they are included in making good things happen. If everyone at the end of the day is laying back and chilling, then it was a great day indeed.

Try not to push, and do not pull too much. Things work better when you let a natural current or flow move actions along.   You will find it just works well for everyone.

One other item to consider is to limit depressants such as alcohol. I am not saying a drink is a terrible idea. I am just suggesting that having a drink or maybe two should not turn into one of the most significant drinking nights of the year. I have never seen this scenario work out well during the night nor the next morning.

The idea is to have people over, have a good time, and have everyone leave safe and get home in good stead.  The biggest compliment will be the number of returning guests for the next holiday.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof