Making Mindful Choices during the Holidays

TRANSCRIPT:

Good Morning,

I’m Marcyline Bailey of For Real Social Workers Online Magazine and you are inside of the Get Through the Holidays Without Losing it Challenge. This challenge is for hardworking professionals who want to be happy, especially during the holidays.

I want to tell you a story. Last week, this time, I was taking our puppy to the dog park to walk her. We walk a mile; and she gets a chance to run, jump play, get some of that energy out of her. So, I put her in the carrier, walked to my car, put her in the car and then I was stunned. Absolutely stopped in my tracks. Because I looked at my car and on the right front quarter panel was a dent; a big dent.

I was shocked. I stopped. I paused. I went “what the F***!” I was startled.

I could not imagine how that happened. So, I took a moment and thought about it. It could only have happened in two places. The day before on Saturday, I parked my car in our shopping mall parking lot. Then when I left the shopping mall, I went to our local Sam’s Club. I didn’t look on the passenger side of my car, the rest of the day.

But, when I left Sam’s Club, I pulled into my driveway and that’s where my car stayed. And, as a matter of fact, that’s where all of our cars stayed. No one moved, until the next morning.

So, of course, I was very… I was pissed. I’m just going to say it. I was pissed.

Because, first, my car got dinged. It wasn’t just a little ding. My car got dented and there were scrapes on it. Secondly, whoever did it, did not have the courtesy or the integrity to leave a note to say I apologize. It was an accident. Is there anything I can do to compensate you or to help you get your car fixed?

So, there were two things. I was angry. I was disappointed and yes, I was p-i-s-s-e-d. So, I had a choice to make for the rest of my day. After seeing that, I had a choice. This is what we are going to talk about today.

Being happy and getting through the holidays without losing it is about the multiple choices that we make on a daily basis. The choices that we need to focus on for this week are the choice to do three things.

First, we have a choice as to what we think when we are presented with an event or a situation that may seem negative to us. We have choice regarding what we think.

Secondly, we have a choice regarding how we are going to feel about that event or that situation.
Third we have a choice regarding how we will react or behave when in the midst of dealing with that situation or event.

So, there are three areas of choice that we’re going to focus on this week. I had choices to make. I could either focus on what was in front of me as opposed to focusing on the “what ifs” or the “if onlys.” That is a mindful approach.

The second way of mindfully approaching the situation was to focus on the situation or deal with the situation without judgment. That is an important key to dealing mindfully; focusing without judgment and extending kindness.

So, these are the things we are going to focus on this week. Choice; focusing on how we are going to think, how we will feel and how we will react, respond or behave. Then we are going to infuse non-judgment, being non-judgmental as well as extending kindness.

I’m Marcyline Bailey and as always, take good care.

“I work with social workers and hard working professionals who want to be happy. I would love to hear from you.” You may join the conversation by commenting on this post or on our Facebook fan page REAL Social Workers Online Magazine or connecting with me on LinkedIn.