When five-year-old Caroline came for her weekly visit the Sunday before Halloween, she was especially excited because she loves to see all our neighbors’ yards decorated – and the spookier the better. As we turned the corner I said, “Wait until you see the decorations on our street! They’re awesome!” With a big grin she replied, “OK, JeJe, I’ll get my eyes ready!”

We celebrate Thanksgiving this week, and Christmas holidays are right around the corner. What are you doing to get your eyes ready? While it can be a fun time of year, it can also be filled with longer to-do lists that create anxiety and stress. We often put more demands on ourselves than necessary in an effort to please others. Our days are filled with both Kleenex moments AND red sock moments. (If that sentence looks weird to you, see my last blog post below this one. I’m sure you can relate!)

It’s so easy to get caught up in holiday planning and preparation while sacrificing the very things you need to stay well – adequate sleep, rest, relaxation, healthy food, exercise, quiet time for yourself and time with the people who are special to you. Taking Care of YOU means focusing on your needs (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) instead of focusing only on making other people happy. Maybe this has been a hard year. You’re not alone. Don’t lose heart. Things will be better when you get your eyes ready. How exactly do you DO that?

You can start by noticing the special blessings that are all around you: the people who care about you, the small (and sometimes unexpected) moments that bring you joy, and the “gifts” in your life that you’ve taken for granted for so long that you don’t even notice them anymore. So… start noticing. Start paying attention. Change your perspective. Be grateful. Give thanks. Count your blessings. Get your eyes ready! There’s a lot to see! And it’s all right there in front of you if you take the time to look!