Didn't Get What You Wanted For Christmas?
It was a Christmas miracle! I got ALL of my shopping done in November this year because I swore that I would not enter into a store after Dec 1st. Y'all think the traffic in Atlanta is bad during rush hour?! I dare you to attempt Target after 5pm on any cold December day. It is brutal and crammed and there are no parking spots ANYWHERE.
So imagine my disappointment yesterday, when I run to the store for dog food only to find...it is still in pre-Christmas shambles & there are no parking spots!
William laughed hysterically, thinking I was joking when I exclaimed, "DIDN'T YOU PEOPLE ALREADY GET EVERYTHING YOU WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS?! GO HOME!"
Apparently the answer was "no."
Y'all this is not a drill. It is estimated that we return over $260 BILLION worth of gifts each year. (source). That's two hundred sixty billion dollars. $260,000,000,000
You know what the number tells me?
Either, we're pretty bad at giving gifts. Or, gifts do not satisfy.
Of course there are instances of wrong size, wrong color, wrong taste, and repeat gifts. But on a whole, it would appear that many people didn't get what they wanted this year for Christmas.
Merry Christmas, from our family to yours!
And I have a feeling I know why. Let's do a little experiment: Fill in the blank with the first thing that comes to your mind. And now sing with me, "Baby, all I want for Christmas is ________."
(If you said, "youuuuuu," go back and try again.)
What did you say? What do you really want?
Maybe "to be married."
Maybe "to fix my relationship with ___."
Maybe "to be skinny."
Maybe "to have a career that allows me to travel."
Maybe "to quit my job."
Maybe "to be more ____."
Maybe "to spend more time on my art."
Maybe "to try a new career or start a new business."
Maybe "to spend more time with my kids."
Perhaps the reason you didn't feel satisfied on Christmas morning or found yourself braving the crowds at Target to return gifts is because deep down, you wanted something more meaningful & impactful for Christmas.
It is a crazy cycle if you think about it. Retailers spend billions of dollars in marketing every year telling us "More, more, more!" will fill the voids we have in our lives. That "more" will finally get us the lives we desire and one day we'll find "enough." And we trust them, because after all, the commercial families seem so very happy. Only to wake up on Christmas day with a room full of presents and no true satisfaction. So we return the gifts to try again, and resolve that things will be better in the new year with stricter, harsher habits. New year, same routine.
The "problem" with our more meaningful & impactful desires is they cannot be delivered to our doorstep in two days. There is delayed gratification as they require work or personal effort to get what we really want. To be honest, the Tupperware you received for meal planning won't make you lose weight and the foreign language software won't make you fluent, unless you use them regularly. New makeup and a new phone will not make you more social or confident. No, these things take a complete overhaul of your patterns and routines. Lifestyle, relationship, and career change require your time over time, and are not available on Prime. So, we settle for gifts that merely serve as bandaids to our deeper heart desires and throw our disappointment into New Years Resolutions we won't keep.
Except this does not have to be the case, we can rewrite the story.
On the night Jesus was born, God does just that. God rewrote the story as the entire world knew it. Instead of a strong warrior, God sent a tiny baby to save the world. Instead of sword & power, Jesus modeled to us lives of intentionality and purpose by using his own. It is through the Redeemer that we understand what it means redeem our daily lives through growing & strengthening our gifts, ideas, and passions--cultivating what is already ours in Christ.
Now the question remains, how do you want to rewrite your story? What motifs would you have flow throughout your life? What are your unmet desires? What do you really want for Christmas? Scripture tells us that we are prepared to do "good works," and I honestly believe that the answer to your question is included in those "good things." I believe that today, you already have everything it takes to accomplish your desires & God-dreams.
Instead of joining the bazillion people in line returning unsatisfactory gifts or having your resolutions be part of the 80% that fail this year, let's start somewhere else. Start with a list of things that matter most to you--areas of your life you want to grow/strengthen. Then each week, create small, achievable goals that capture the essence of who you are and what you want to be. Find a dear friend who can hold you accountable, extend grace, and cheer loudly. And just do it. Each day take one small step toward who you want to be.
With my entire heart, I believe coaching transforms lives and therefore, impacts the entire world. When each of us are living out fully who God created us to be, we cannot help but have a ripple effect in our families, relationships, jobs, and circles. For that reason, I am offering 20% off of all coaching packages from now until Jan 5th, 2018. Financial burdens should not stand in your way of cultivating a life you believe in. If you are unsure if coaching is for you, feel free to connect with me for a free 30 minute introductory call.
