As we approach Christmas day, people are running around like chickens without heads. Just yesterday I was stuck in a combined 30-40 minutes of traffic in the capital. I believe much of it was because of people buying gifts at the last minute. Almost the same happened today in my hometown, and I was not even shopping for gifts (thank God I planned that ahead and got it done weeks in advance).
Mixed Feelings?
For everyone that is struggling, this period can come with mixed feelings. Everyone seems happy, yet stressed, and if you haven’t achieved your goals for the year or things are not going that great, it all tends to compound into a mess. And buying all those gifts can get expensive as well.
I’ve seen coaching clients drop their goals, report high levels of stress and commitments everywhere, deal with loneliness, you name it.
And who’s to blame them… I guess 2016 was a hard year for pretty much everyone. Plenty of terrorist attacks, a messy election in the U.S., a refugee crisis in Syria, Brexit, depressed economies worldwide… there’s plenty of reasons to say “good riddance” to this year. Personally, I also had one of the hardest, if not the hardest year of my life.
Sometimes the temptation to give up is strong
I’ve seen this is with my clients and I’ve seen it in myself as I try to get my new coaching business off the ground. If you’re doing anything that’s hard or challenging, you’re starting a business, you’ve been fired and have been looking for a job for months or even years, you’re going through a messy relationship, you’ve had health challenges… I can relate. All of these things are hard and sometimes they come together.
I’m not here to tell you everything is going to be OK.
I just want to tell you that 2017 could be much better (or worse) depending on your attitude and luck or divine will.
The only thing I can really say is:
Don’t give up now… because the world needs you. REALLY needs you.
We’re all hurt and broken in so many ways. And the state of affairs doesn’t help a lot. But we can still give each other a hand. This is what being human is all about. It’s not about being perfectly happy all the time. It’s not about our selfish desires and problems. It’s about loving the rest and giving them a hand, period.
I don’t know your beliefs, but as a Christian I will say “Merry Christmas” and not just “Happy Holidays”. Because we’re celebrating the birth of Christ. I don’t know what that means to you, if anything, but to me it means Hope. Because when all else was failing, when the world was getting worse and worse by the day (just like these days), Jesus came to this world to fix it. To fix us. And to equip us and challenge us to fix each other.
It’s all in your hands now, as always
I believe this is a time for healing, for peace and reflection. To be a better person if only for once in a year. And also,
If you’re an entrepreneur, hear me out: it’s a time for WORK.
Yes, work. You still have 1 week left to make your mark on 2016. When everyone is chilling down, as an entrepreneur I believe you should be going the extra mile. Competition is lower, people are in a buying mood (if distracted), and it’s a great time to ramp up for the next year while your competitors are asleep. Get a head start now. Seek help if you need it. Buy a good book, seek therapy, get the training you need, find a mentor or business/personal coach, and work like crazy. I’m not saying to lock yourself in a cave and miss out on all the fun, far from it. But don’t let it distract you too much from your mission.
Dig in now, and you will reap the rewards later. The world will need you so much on the coming year.
So… with that said,
Merry Christmas!
I pray that you have a beautiful time and really enjoy this break from such a crazy year. And happy working for those of you that decide to take me on this entrepreneur challenge to finish 2016 strong!
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