If You Are Inspiring, Your Holidays Will Be Too

We all know the complaints: family grievances, stressful shopping, never enough time to get everything done, fatigue and collapse. Therapists brace themselves for the holidays as depressed patients become more depressed, addictive patients become more addicted and winter grayness casts its pall.

So let's change this picture. The holiday season was meant to be the most inspired time of year. It's an idealistic season when the outer world sleeps so that the inner world can flourish.

The secret to making your holiday inspiring is actually quite simple. Be inspiring yourself. As with any change, you must be the change you want to see in others. But how does that come about? Here are some suggestions:

• Stop doing what never worked in the first place
• Don't blurt out hidden feelings
• Stay out of the box that others want to put you in
• Tolerate what is difficult; engage with what is simple
• Do one inspired thing, no matter what anyone else thinks