Lull...Before The Storm!
So , we are now heading towards the end November faster than a lightening bolt racing a storm. The days ,weeks and months are rocketing by . Going so fast I'm losing track of the date and realising all too soon how little time we have left before the chaos hits.....
The Black weekend has just been upon us and after that its anyone's party. The time to spend and spend with a frenzy has finally come knocking and wearing its gnarled knuckles on our doors. The stress , the pressure, I want this, I would like that but don'y worry..... Well , I only want cash......... Its enough to make me want to ......AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
temple bar dublin. late evening after a busy day of trading!
We have become a consumer addicted society but never more so than during the festive season. We have become jaded from our own addiction and I think need rescuing from this affliction. I am as guilty as anyone else but this year I am determined to keep my spending down and not just for the health of my wallet but for the health and wellbeing of myself....
Have you ever observed the faces on the high street of the frantic shoppers as they plough their way through the harrowed throngs of xmas troopers.... They look a fright, their eyes filled with hopeful anxiety, their faces white from the exhaustion of their toil. I recognise these symptoms all too well as I was one of these poor creatures not so long ago. I raced through the city on the last week of November without fail each year. I congratulated myself on my smug efficiency and glowed in the knowledge that I would be one of those people that could actually "Enjoy" the month of December without the hassle of having to purchase anymore gifts.
a closer look. the tranquil evening belies the frenzy of earlier hours.
Of course it never worked out that way . What actually happened was that I did start my shopping list in November but it never stopped and continued well into December. I even bought some items twice having completely forgotten what I had originally purchased in early November...LOL......Ha Ha!
Even worse I was sometimes "so efficient" that I purchased in October and the gift items never made it out of the black bin bag that I had "hidden" and tucked away in the attic...Why??? ....Hmmm......I'm embarassed to admit it....But because I had completely forgotten that they were up there and only "found" them again when I was searching for Easter decorations the following year.!!!! No matter how you convince yourself that you can "gift" some winter woollies with snowflake designs as an Easter offering we all know that would never work. So the "Xmas Haul" stayed in the attic till the end of the year in the hope that it finally saw the light of day (literally????) the following xmas!!! LOL!.... Ha Ha!
learning to put a bit more effort into investing in my happy space this xmas.
The moral of the story well.....I guess its Shop less and enjoy yourself more...Life is too short to be stressing the small stuff. There are several ways to do this and I know as I've been through the trials and errors of most of them. First up, I would suggest is make a list and most importantly stick to it.... There is nothing worse than buying something not on it because its a 3 for 2 or such like... Choose a time to do your Christmas shopping wisely , that is, not to early and definitely not too late. The last week in November is probably the best time as its before the crazy chaos and includes the Black Friday bargains too if you can manage to fight your way to them. Shopping online is always a popular option and it has its obvious advantages but you need to do this in plenty of time before xmas as you made need to return an item for one reason or another.
a rare tranquil moment down dublin's bohemian temple bar area. ootd a rare 80's vintage apres ski jacket.
I mentioned above "don't stress the small stuff" and apart from the great man himself ....Father Christmas aka Santa Clause (who we all know is super efficient and never "forgets" anything!!! ...thanks to Mrs Claus who always gets his back!!!!!!...Ha Ha Ha!.... ) LOL....We are only human and gift giving should be a pleasurable experience both for the giver and reciever. No one should be under pressure to buy a particular sweater in a particular colour/material or be forced to buy it in a specific store or with a specific label. We should call to mind every so often what its all about ...........Its a time to spend with those that make us happy its as simple as that. The gift giving is a bonus and if we could free our minds from the "Compulsory" aspect of gift giving that has been engrained into us since childhood we would enjoy the experience all the more.
go the distance , stay healthy and stress free and enjoy your xmas.
I think most of us need to "Let Go" of the pressures of this Festive Season and decide to enjoy the precious moments that hopefully we will get to experience during it. I need to let go of grudges and past disappointments and learn that life really only starts to be enjoyable when I clear my mind of all the junk. Learning to forgive and "Let Go" will be two of my big challenges but I need to start 2018 with a clean platter.
a break from the chaos of a city cracking at the seams with xmas pressure.
On a more practical level I'm hoping to have a big clear out of my stuff before xmas starting in my attic. Christmas decorations I no longer use and piles of heavy cases full of more "stuff"... I need to free myself of this excess so I'll be donating the better quality items to my local charity shop. Having a "cleansing" clearout before xmas is always a good idea. Out with the old and in with the new....I'm going to start as soon as I post this up so please wish me luck...
What are your thoughts on xmas shopping and the pressure to please everyone that this season inevitable brings? I would be very interested to know in the comments. Talk soon
LOVE XXX VIOLINKIT.
