3 tips for getting along on vacation

If you're like a lot of people, you've got a lot of stress during the holidays.

If so, you are not alone!

Whether you're hosting big parties with lots of people, limiting your gatherings to a few, or visiting others...

You might get a shorter fuse than normal when you run into people, even the ones you love, rubbing you the wrong way!

So, what do you do?

How can you not just "spend" the holidays, but actually enjoy them?

1. Remember that we all live in different realities and that we do not see life in the same way

So when Uncle Charles starts speaking out about everything that's wrong with the government (or whatever), know that you're not going to change his mind by arguing at this topic.

That's how he sees life and you don't have to commit.

You can say something like, "That's an interesting way of looking at it..." and if you really want to connect with him, you can ask him questions.

If you choose not to connect with him, please strike up a conversation with someone else.

You don't have to be upset when someone has a different point of view and you don't have to agree.

2. Live in the moment

The present moment is all we have, so stay in it as much as possible.

A good friend of Susie's was so engrossed in what she had to do when she was planning holiday get-togethers that she failed to communicate with her loved ones.

When she realized there was another way to stay in the moment and connect with people instead of letting her thoughts take over, she started to really enjoy the holidays.

>

Staying in the moment is about connecting with people by being interested in them.

It means taking your attention away from your thoughts and what you MUST do to focus on the other person.

So simple but yet we forget during the "demands" of the holidays!

3. Turn to gratitude rather than criticism

It seems like second nature to many of us to criticize others either verbally or silently in our minds.

If you want to get along with others over the holidays and really have fun, nothing works better than having an attitude of gratitude.

When your mind wanders thinking that the way your sister makes mashed potatoes is completely wrong…

Take a breath and pause before something sarcastic comes out of your mouth or you roll your eyes.

Instead, turn your mind to something you are grateful for.

It could be your children, your partner, the food you and others have prepared, the sunshine, or something you appreciate about your sister.

You don't have to bring critical thoughts to life that will damage your relationships with others and blame the stress of the holidays.

You can choose what you focus on.

Even though it seems like your stress and pressure are created by circumstances and what you see outside of you, it really is an inside job.

We can allow the self-induced stress created by our thinking to die out if we don't feed it.

Several years ago, we had an experiment together before a vacation reunion.

Previous meetings with these people had been a bit contentious and we didn't want that this year.

So instead of rehashing old arguments as we drove to the event, we imagined that everyone was getting along and having fun.

And it worked!

We had the best time of our lives that year, with no disagreements to spoil the fun.

Are we great creators? Maybe

But it's more likely that WE were in a better mood and that's how we interacted with people.

If you are anywhere in the world, we send you lots of love and gather you together for the holidays.

If you have a question, contact us here…