I was recently forced to watch an episode of ‘Im a celebrity get me outa here…. I actually was I promise…. And it was an episode where the celebrities had to guess between two answers to a question. The question being asked was. What percentage love Christmas and think its the best time of the year…… and they had to choose between 32% and 78%. And unanimously everyone in the jungled said…. It is so 78% – everyone loves Christmas. Its the best time of the year….. and during the conversations they talked between themselves… it has to be 78% or higher. Who in the world doesn’t love Christmas…. The other 22% must be the Grinches of this world……
Now for me I thought…. Ummmhhhh…. You guys definitely don’t live in the real world…. And that must make me the Grinch… Its easy to say its the best time of the year… when you are a celebrity…. When you have millions in your bank account, where you can afford your mortgage, multiple holidays and year and the thoughts of getting presents for the kids and food on the table doesn’t even occur to you.
So I waited for the ad break to finish and the results came through… the shutters came down… the two celebs… were shocked…. And went back to camp empty handed…. Where a debate continued as to how they got it wrong…
Christmas is never a nice period in time if you have recently lost someone close to you, a family member a fiend. A miscarriage. Christmas is never a good time if you have just come out from a failed IVF cycle.
Its not easy…. Going to the office Christmas party when all you want to do is curl up in a ball and cry…. When everyone around you is pregnant…. And then on Christmas Eve your best friends rings you in tears… she’s pregnant again for the third time… when she knew two was enough and wants you. Yes you. Didn’t she not realise what you have been through for the last three years… oh hold on she does…. ‘Oh honey, I know you’ve had such a tough time trying for a baby…but I just need to have a rant….. you don’t mind do you…. As she continues to sob down the phone to you…. Oblivious to you and what hell you have gone though over the last 12 months….
So how do you get through Christmas…. How do you deal with people that just seem to put both feet into it….
The best advice I can give you is to try….. and all you can do is try… to let…. It.. go… (I know) and please if you figure this out…. Do let me know. In 15 years I haven’t figured out how to…. And we can write a book and make a fortune together…..
Christmas…. Is not always for the month of December a happy month….. work gets busier…… shops get busier….. if you haven’t used Amazon Prime…… (lol) however a moment will come some time in the month…. Where you can pause…. Take a breath….. and say to yourself……. Good bye to 2019……. This crappy year……. Like so many of my patients this months have said to me….. almost every day of December….. I heard…… from so many……. I just want 2019 to be hover and I can get started again in 2020….
And then…. A few days ago…. While having a coffee…. I love my coffee breaks……..
I thought hold on….. and looked over some notes from 2018…… in December 2018….. so many of my patients said to me I can’t wait for December to be over and I can get into 2019 and start again and have a better year….
I looked into my notes from December 2017…. And again… everyone in December wanted the year to end…. To be in the dust of the past….. and wanted to start 2018 and have an amazing year and get pregnant……
So do we see a pattern here….. everyone is wising the year away… to start again afresh……. And that when I looked at it was tough to see… I wondered… we I only see a small group of people….. in a very specific area……. Infertility…. What about those that had lost family and were going through their first Christmas alone… what about those that we just recently diagnosed with cancer… were going through cancer treatment and those that we now in recovery….. were they all wishing the year away……
So don’t feel bad that Christmas is a crappy time…. There are actually 68% of people feeling that Christmas isn’t the best time of year…. However as you know me well…. Im an incurable optimist….. so you know Im going to find something good about all this…. And I have…..
If we look back at the year….. its going to bring up the crappy stuff…. The stuff that went wrong….. the stuff that has had you on your knees…. The stuff very few people know about you and your journey…..
Nut for a moment… just one moment in time….. lets take a bigger leap…. Lets look back at the last decade…. Your last 10 years…. Now look at who you were back then…. And look at who you are now….. and you at all you have achieved with your career…. Your family…. Your life….. and I bet there is a very strong chance that a lot of very good things have happened to you over the last decade since 2010…. (ICK I KNOW) I did…. And wow…. What a decade I have had….. let me show you a few….
I met the most amazing woman who is now my wife
I ran a 10k across the Great Wall of China
Built an amazing fertility practice helping over 3,500 couples to have kids
Built an amazing Meditation app with over 40,000 users in last two years
Saw the Northern lights at -35 degrees….. in the Artic Circle….
Hiked the Inca Trail for 4 days and saw Machu Pichu
Paraglided (and almost died) off Mont Blanc….. (YES!!!!!)
Got my Dog Duke….. very cool dog… who I think understands English….
And so so so much more…..
Was there some crappy stuff in the middle of all that.. well yes there was…… and December always reminded me of that…. But the last 10 years….. well….. if I can do the same if not more in the next 10 years…… I will be proud of myself…. And yes the crap will come too…..
So if you low and December sucks……. Rather than wishing away the decade…. Look at where you are… what you have done…. And say ‘Game Face on for 2020’
Do find yourself a good to great acupuncturist in Cork to help you into balance for the new decade.
Chat soon.
Gordon