From day one at Wealth Pilgrim, I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving and holiday stress. Since the word “Pilgrim” is so closely associated with it, I figured I’d own the holiday. I conjured up images of writing an amazing post to commemorate the day. The “mother of all posts,” if you will. It would be my own Plymouth Rock.
So I thought about Thanksgiving and I continued thinking about it.
And even though I’d been thinking about it since March, nothing really spectacular came to mind. Of course I thought about the obvious “be thankful” idea, but you don’t need me to remind you to be thankful for what you have. You already know that – and you’ll hear messages from better writers than me on the subject today.
Well…I did come up with something…and here it is.
I’m letting myself off the hook today. I’ll do my best and let it go. You’ll survive without me saying something brilliant and so will I. The world will somehow continue to turn. I created all the pressure I was feeling and I am the only one who can get rid of it. The good news is I can and I will.
If I didn’t write today or even if Wealth Pilgrim vanished completely, you’d be just fine. This pressure I put on myself is kind of ego based…isn’t it? Well, as I said…I’m letting myself off the hook. Someone else can steer the boat today. No problemo. How might this be useful to you? I wonder if you’re walking around with your own form of “performance anxiety.”
What pressure are you putting on yourself? Is the earth going to swallow Arizona if you don’t have the “perfect” meal tomorrow? What if the oven breaks down just as you slide in that 25-pounder? What if the stuffing is too dry?
And what about your Christmas budget? Are you on track for all this stuff?
Oh the humanity! Of course, this is just the tip of the turkey. What about all the gift pressure you’re feeling? Whew…it’s enough to make a grown Pilgrim cry – or face bankruptcy and foreclosure.
Well, I suggest you let yourself off the hook too. 95% of the pressure we feel is self-manufactured. Shut off the machine. No, wait…here’s a better idea – break it to pieces.
Are you going to let yourself off the hook today? How?
Johanne says
November 26, 2009 at 4:24 AMSome of the pressure is also about “keeping up with the Jones’s” syndrome.
The gifts you give hints on status. People are pressured to give expensive gifts just to show everyone else that they’re well off.
Neal Frankle says
November 25, 2009 at 5:45 AMGood stuff Ken, Catherine and Nicky,
You are inspiring me. Ken, I also am going to try to be very clear on my blogging activities and keep boundaries around it. It is so easy to have this activity consume more and more time.
Thanks for the reminder buddy.
Ken says
November 25, 2009 at 5:00 AMLetting myself off the hook means taking each day as it comes and not fill it up before it gets here. It means stopping and doing what my 2 sons want to do. It means continuing to do my 3 posts a week and not giving up on this learning curve called blogging. Have a great Thanksgving.
Catherine says
November 25, 2009 at 4:38 AMWell, if you call it letting myself off the hook…..this year, for the first time since I can remember, it will be just my husband, my son and myself for Thanksgiving dinner…..no worrying about having holiday guests, trying to cook enough food for an army. I am just going to relax this year.
Nicki at Domestic Cents says
November 25, 2009 at 4:33 AMI decided to do the same thing with the big meal tomorrow. I’m still cooking from scratch and all that good stuff, but I bought disposable bakeware just for the day so I’m not in the kitchen until sunset. That simple gesture helped me relax and release a little pressure.
Happy Thanksgiving!