I am delighted and excited to write my first blog on my new website. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you here on a regular basis. If I can help you find even a little more serenity and happiness I consider this a great success.

Here we are in the second week of December. Many of us tend to overdo by adding Christmas shopping, baking, decorating, and attending parties to our already busy routines. We all have excellent motives but perhaps we try too hard and undermine our happiness in the process.

We could choose to try and do all of the things that we think others expect of us. Or, we could choose to see this as an opportune time to step back and contemplate what is really important to the season and to us. By considering the balance points in our lives we could eliminate much of the stress and instead, allow ourselves to be open to the joy and the togetherness of the holidays.

In my attempts to reconnect with the real meaning of Christmas, I looked at each of the traditional elements. My first realization was that gift giving had gotten out of control for me. We all recognize the pleasure of giving and receiving the perfect gifts, but the sheer number of people on our lists mean that the more likely scenario is that people are so overwhelmed they don't even remember what they give or receive. And of course, many of us realize that we already have all that we really need.

At my request, over the last couple of years my family decided to eliminate most of the gift giving, or at the very least, instead donate to worthy causes instead of exchanging presents. I sensed that most of us welcomed the new found time and perspective that we gained. We focused on being together and sharing food, conversation, and music.

My husband and I also limit the parties we attend in favor of much needed time together at home. We find that this way we feel more of the true spirit as we relax in our beautiful home with our sweet sheltie. By prioritizing our relationship over parties we more fully enjoy Christmas because we take the time to enjoy our lovely tree and the decorations that we have collected over the years. There is plenty of time to hold hands, listen to music, and watch movies. We feel the Christmas spirit instead of feeling that it passed us by.

I know that I need to dedicate more time to stress-relieving activities, and would guess that many of you can also see the wisdom of doing this. My Christmas List consists of more time in nature, getting the exercise that I enjoy, doing daily calming meditations, reading interesting fiction and non-fiction books, pursuing creative projects such as vision boards and writing, and spending quality time with loved ones.

We have so much to be grateful for and by using our time a bit more wisely, we see even more of the blessings in our lives. With the clarity we gain by choosing our activities carefully, we become more present and more able to absorb the love around us. I wish for you all a stress-free holiday. Share the love with your friends, family, and pets, and feel the true meaning of the holiday spirit.

Thank you for joining me here...you are the present I most wish for. I look forward to sharing more of my thoughts with you!