“‘Tis the season…” Well, that what we’re told. Every year at this time, we begin a lovely six-week cycle of giving thanks, sharing good tidings, making cookies, and really pushing ourselves to be more aware; more courteous, gracious, empathetic, and focused on the people and little things that truly matter and make a difference in our lives.
But flawed as we might be as a species, must we require a calendar to mandate or nudge this uplifting part of our humanity? Since we have proved that we can sustain amped up feelings of joy, goodness, and caring from now into the new year, here’s a wild thought… let’s do it all of the time!
It would be nice to gift co-workers and support people with Starbucks’, Zippy’s, or McDonalds’ gift cards in March. It’s cool to bake cookies for “the team” in May. It’s kosher to handwrite small notes of thanks and appreciation in August. Heck, it’s even unexpected! Take nothing away from the deeply spiritual reasons that we celebrate late in the year, but embrace that this joie de vivre, this feeling of happiness and acuity need not be simply a seasonal affective order.
We are blessed here with an underlying concept- the “aloha spirit”. Mix that in with some good, old “Christmas spirit”, stir it up, and voila, you’ve got a wholesome recipe not just for the holidays, but for every day. No absolute construct of mankind (i.e., the calendar) should dictate to us when to rise above our daily existences to be more compassionate.
And here’s a bonus. Doing good helps to release internal chemicals like dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin, and that’s really healthy- any time of year! Smiling, laughing, and giving of yourself, while not exactly the equivalent of eating kale or taking a brisk 30-minute walk daily, actually helps your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being! We don’t need annual 30% off holiday sales to remind us of that, do we?
So let’s see if we can stretch a bit, take this holiday habit and spread it out. Mark your calendar for April 3 to bake mochi for co-workers. Spend time in July with those grieving the loss of a loved one, just because. Let someone know you care and you’re there for them, and do it in September. “‘Tis the season” can become a more universal habit and mantra. It’s your call.
Think about it…
This story was originally published on November 27, 2019 in MidWeek.