Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, there is something about the holiday season that warrants a universal feeling of joyful expectation. Knowing that something exciting is coming makes getting through the cold and bleak winter months a little easier.
It could be counting down the days until school is out, reuniting with family and friends, or timeless traditions that fill you with feelings of warmth and nostalgia. Whatever it may be that lifts your spirits, waiting for that moment is a wonderful feeling.
This holiday season, instead of sighing in frustration as I wait in long lines at the store, tapping my feet as I wait anxiously for the packages to arrive, or stressing about making my connecting flight, I’m choosing to sit in the waiting with joyful anticipation.
I’ve found that waiting is often what causes me to worry the most; when I know something is going to happen but I don’t know exactly how or when it will happen. This season, I’m flipping the script and trading my need for certainty for joyful anticipation.
Choosing to focus more on what’s the best thing that could happen instead of what’s the worst thing that could happen releases any pressure or responsibility for how things turn out, and instead leaves me feeling surprisingly delighted when things turn out better than expected.
During what I’m calling “the season of anticipation”, I encourage you to let go of the need for control and instead embrace the wonder in the waiting. Look outside the frosty window on your morning commute and admire the stillness of winter, slowly inhale the scent of festive cookies baking as you patiently wait in the kitchen, and linger a little longer in the embrace of a loved one.
Slowing down feels wrong during a time of the year characterized by hustle and bustle, but maybe that’s why it’s so important. In savoring the moments that are often rushed, we’re inviting others to do the same and redefining what matters most to us, our time, and how we spend it.
May this season be filled with joyful anticipation as you look forward to all the magic the holidays have to offer.
Warmest wishes,
Dakota Hyland