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Don't Cook Your Precious Goose!
by Linda Larsen, CSP
© Copyright 2000

Oh no, it's December 10th already - only 14 more shopping days left until Christmas! And oh dear, I have to leave in about 2 hours for 5 concurrent days of training - in 5 different cities. Of course I do NOT have all my shopping done. And - I need to wrap my stepson's present so that my husband can send off his gifts to New York NOW!

I have a load of clothes in the dryer that need to be folded before I leave. (You know, if you leave them too long in the dryer - they get wrinkled.) I wanted to walk for 30 minutes on the treadmill before I left today - oh well. Cancel that one. My car REALLY needs to be washed before I go, and I need to water the plants on the lanai. I have a MILLION things to do before I leave.

And here I sit. Waiting for the doctor to call me back so that I can get in to see him before I leave. Yes. My body has been screaming for a quite a while now, "Slow down! I can't keep up with you!" But it appears that I have not been listening. I have fallen into that mentality that many of us do during the holiday season. It goes like this: "Maybe I can steal one more hour out of the day." We think things like, "If I hurry, I can..." Or, "maybe on my lunch hour I can run and..." Or, "I'll get up early - or stay up late." Rush, rush, rush, rush, rush.

What are we thinking? Where are stealing this energy from? I'll tell you where. From that precious little goose of ours. And what's going to happen is what happened to me this morning. That goose is going to wake up and say, "I'm mad as heck and I'm not taking it any more. I'm not going anywhere." And then - NOTHING gets done. Of course, you could continue to push yourself anyway, and then really wipe out.

Let's stop this craziness right now. For the next 2 weeks, I suggest that you practice the following:

1. Slow Down! Seriously. Walk slower. Drive slower. Saunter. Do not rush.

2. If it doesn't get done - SO WHAT!!! Take a breath and let it go! Here's an example: "But I have to feed the cat!! What if she doesn't get fed this morning????" Let me ask you this. Have YOU ever skipped a meal? Of course you have. Your cat will be just fine this once.

3. Continually ask yourself, "Where's the joy - right now? Where's the peace - right now? Where's the love - right now?" Believe me, if you're focused on finding joy, peace and love in every moment, you're where you need to be.

4. Drink lots and lots and lots of water. I remember reading in the book, The Zone, the author writing that he had seen tired athletes win, and he had seen sick athletes win - but he had never seen a dehydrated athlete win. Water will help keep you energized and focused.

5. Breathe. Consciously. Deep and fully (as you are sauntering...)

6. Always carry with you some Altoids (the curiously strong peppermint) so that when all those high sugar, high calorie deserts, candies and holiday cookies come out - you can pop a mint in your mouth instead. Those high sugar desserts will GET YOU!

7. Put first things first. YOU are a first thing - you and your good health. Spending a few moments each day in GRATITUDE - is a first thing. Stopping to hug the ones you love and tell them how much they are loved - is a first thing.

I'll conclude with this thought. When it's all said and done, when life is almost over and you are lying on your death bed, do you really believe that you'll be thinking, "If only I'd folded those clothes before they wrinkled?" I don't think so.

Have a blessed, joyous, healthy holiday season!

Word Count: 692

Tag line: Linda Larsen, CSP, helps individuals think strategically, communicate effectively, and celebrate success. She is an international keynote speaker, trial consultant and author of the book, True Power, and the best selling audio program, 12 Secrets to High Self-Esteem. She can be reached at www.lindalarsen.com or 941-927-4700.

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