It’s crunch time, y’all! And I don’t mean time to hit the gym (although, I kinda do…) ‘Tis the Season for all of the lists: Grocery lists for Thanksgiving, To Do’s of Holiday Travel, naughty and nice lists for gift giving, and that unrelenting inbox that says you will never have it all completed before the end of the year while also trying to take that personal time you need to “use before you lose.”
Like many of my type-A, right-brained, self-diagnosed perfectionist Virgo event planners/producers friends that are staring down the barrel of the next 6 weeks… we’ve got all of the checklists created (our emotional defense mechanism creating, perhaps, a false sense of security) ensuring we don’t forget to do ALL OF THE THINGS that need to be done in order for the holiday season to be a success.
Unfortunately, many of the things we do during the holidays have become items to check off the list. Holiday choir concert: Check. Company holiday party: Check. Ugly sweater party: Check. Thanksgiving dinner with our nearest and dearest while we share a meal and give thanks… oh, shoot! What is the one thing I am most thankful for this year!? How do I always forget that this is a thing!?! That wasn’t on my list!!!!
Stop… Breathe-in, 2, 3… and out, 2, 3…
Right… You can’t give thanks without taking a moment to stop and understand what you are thankful for. So, put at the top of all of those varying checklists to remember to stop and take a moment (because that is all you have) for yourself. Remember to internalize and appreciate the efforts being put forth all around you. Acknowledge the compassion and love behind those old family recipes that are brought and shared at Thanksgiving. Congratulate your friend for finding the most obnoxious sweater and boldly wearing it in public. Appreciate the amount of time and rehearsals that went into that choir concert. Most importantly, take stock in all of the people around you that support you, give you energy, offer up opportunities and forgiveness throughout the year, and encourage you to be all of the crazy that you just had to take this moment to separate from.
Give yourself permission to breathe and take it all in. That is what you can be most thankful for this year.
With that, we here at Next Level are taking a moment to thank You, our clients, vendors, friends and family. You all support us throughout the year while we keep ourselves very busy “making event dreams come true.” You trust us with your vision, your reputation and your goals. We rely on you as confidants, professional support, emotional support, and most importantly, as partners in this exciting and crazy world of events. In taking this moment, we sincerely say Thank You! Thank You for being you, and Thank You for supporting us.
Happy Thanksgiving!
