Reflections on the Season
By Dr. Tim Fargo, Chiropractor
If you watch any amount of television at this time of year, you might be persuaded to conclude that this season is about kitschy Christmas decorations, the latest store discounts accompanied by jingling bells, or elves and Santas selling everything from electric razors to Lexus automobiles. Someone from another culture would probably be dismayed and confused by the cacophony of holiday-related messaging and advertising. Thankfully there are other reasons for the season. For some of us it is a time to reconnect with religious traditions that celebrate the birth of Jesus, or the coming of Hanukkah. For others, the season is a non-religious event that presents an opportunity to reconnect with the people we love.
I think that there is a quiet, reflective mood that accompanies this time of year. Most of us are not outside as much and there is a bit of a subdued hush on the landscape out our windows. It is also a time when the calendar turns, and this too gives us an opportunity to reflect on the year that was and the year that will be. I think, for many, it was not the easiest of years. Between political turmoil, rising prices, supply chain issues, and the lingering effects of the pandemic it is easy to conclude that it was a pretty tough year, and one could spend a lot of time and energy in feeling stressed about it. Something that I think is therapeutic, and a great antidote to the stress that accompanies life in this confusing world, is to cultivate and reflect on the things for which you can be grateful. Perhaps, in the midst of it all, you are grateful for the people around you, some special relationships that you have, the health you are experiencing, or the ability to do some things that you enjoy. I have found that in times of stress gratitude is a soothing tonic.
Looking backward, and at the present, with some measure of gratitude can calm the mind and spirit. Looking forward with a sense of optimism, and voicing that optimism with resolutions about your life, health, productivity and happiness, can create a wave for you to ride into this next year. Resolutions are too often used as a means of creating expectations which, when unfulfilled, become an opportunity for people to punish themselves. Rather than doing that, it might be better to view them as simply a roadmap for the coming year and a projection of your most cherished desires and wishes. Resolutions need not be a heavy thing. Rather, if the resolution is light, cheerful, and aesthetic it is more likely to be achieved. You are only making a resolution to create a better life. There is no sense in violating the basic intention of having done so by harboring negative feelings about having failed in some way.
Make a resolution about something that matters to you. Extend your mind and your heart into the future and then simply go out and create what you want. The more serious you get about it, the less likely that you will keep your promises to yourself. The more playful you can get about it, the more likely you will succeed.
One of the things that I very much appreciate, and have gratitude for, is the ability to do the work that I do. The thing that I most enjoy about it is being able to meet and create relationships with so many great people. If you are reading this little blog, then you are probably one of “my people”. I am thankful for you and for all the ways that you have brightened my life and the lives of all the staff at Chiropractic Health and Wellness. Here’s wishing you and yours a blessed, safe, healthy, and abundant holiday and New Year.
