We often wish our family, friends, colleagues and other people…a Merry Christmas. And they wish us the same too. Yes indeed, Christmas is filled with lots of merry making, joy, happiness and cheer. However when Christmas day comes to an end, the mood starts to get dull from boxing day through new year after which most people get back to their normal and many times mundane day-to-day life.

For some people, it is like this intense feeling of Christmas cheer and excitement comes to a screeching halt when Christmas day ends. Everything goes quite and dull almost all of a sudden.

But should it be this way? Should we only reserve this kind of joy only for Christmas? Can’t we infuse some of these beautiful experiences of Christmas into our everyday lives?

What if you could extend the merry. Ever wondered if you could? I have.

A few years back, some days after Christmas I was pulling down the Christmas tree to box it for keeps and wait for the next Christmas. When my son who was in preschool then realized what was going on, he was so upset because he still wanted to turn the Christmas lights on every now and then. He was so fond of them. So his mood got me thinking and asking myself…”wait a minute, we put up and decorate the Christmas tree to celebrate Christmas and Christmas is all about remembering and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and why He came into the world. Shouldn’t we celebrate the birth of Jesus everyday? So why should we take down the tree so soon? So if we still want to have this tree up, why not?
Shouldn’t everyday be Christmas? ”

Guess what!

…Yes, you guessed right. 

The tree was back up with it’s decorations. Not only was my son so happy but I could feel the joy of Christmas was still alive too. The tree remained up for not less than 8 months. From that moment on, every year our Christmas tree stays up for months way into the next year until we feel we have had enough and give it some space to rest before it’s up again for the new season. This year it went down early : ) …in April because there were changes being made in the house. When visitors come to my home and ask, “you still have the Christmas tree?”, I say to them, “Everyday is Christmas” 🙂

You see, there’s a calming warmth that comes from seeing the Christmas tree standing majestically there in my home as I run about my day-to-day life even months way after Christmas has ended. It always feels like it’s Christmas. Especially because of the value I attach to Christmas. It is so beautiful to see the children occasionally dim the house lights in the evenings and instead light up the Christmas tree. The mood and ambiance of the home just changes, feels warm and cozy. For my family, the spirit of Christmas is still alive in our home and my life.

And that’s one of the things I do to keep Merry Christmas alive in my life beyond Christmas.

How about you?

Ever wondered why not extend your Christmas merry-making? You too could if you wanted to and purposed to. So you don’t move from having a very cheerful and fun Christmas season to all of a sudden living a dull life.

Here’s how you can keep the spark of Christmas alive in your life:

1. First establish: What does Christmas mean to you? Why do you celebrate it?

Is Christmas about gathering with family? Is it about travel? Is it about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ?  Is it about shopping? Is it about preparing or eating special meals? Is it about special traditions? What does it mean to you?

2. Then: What are the things or activities that make your Christmas a merry and joyful one?

Is it the shopping? Decorating the Christmas tree? Celebrating with family and friends? Listening the Christmas music? Singing Christmas Carols? Receiving gifts? Giving gifts? What are those things to you?

3. How can you incorporate them in your life and how often?

Which of these activities can you incorporate into your everyday life? How often? For instance if visiting family gives you so much joy during Christmas, can you purpose to visit family members more often during the year? How often? Could it be one family member a month?

Or if it is wrapping and giving gifts…can you surprise people with gifts through out the year? That they will receive gifts when they least expect it? Can you imagine how that would make you feel say if you gift one person every month?

Find what works for you and go for it.

4. Don’t postpone happiness and joy

Don’t wait to a certain time in future for you to be happy when you can be happy now. Many people feel dull or even depressed after Christmas because they built up so much anticipation of happiness for this moment that comes and goes all of a sudden…poof! They feel deflated like a balloon that’s been poked with a needle. So if you can be observant of the things that make you merry during Christmas and you plan to incorporate them in your life beyond Christmas, you will not feel blah, flat or blue after Christmas because you still have beautiful moments to look forward to!

Even if you didn’t feel grey after Christmas, at least have some of these happy moments to keep the Christmas spark in your life through out the year!

When you look back on your life and some of these things that bring you happiness and joy to your life, you’ll see they add meaning to your life. They contribute towards your fulfilled life. At the end of it all, is a fulfilled life not what we want?

PS: How will you continue the spark of a merry life beyond Christmas? You could let me know in the comments section below.

PPS:

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To your merry and fulfilled Life!

Ruthida Kajumba

Authentic Success – Coach & Speaker

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