In the past, I experienced an extreme amount of stress during this time of year. This level of stress would impact not only my mood; but also, my health. I would cope by, literally, just bracing myself and waiting for the holidays to sweep past.

For my readers in the US, the time beginning with Thanksgiving and continuing on through New Year’s can often be a time of high stress. So many events need to be planned or attended; gifts need to be bought, wrapped, given and returned. We reflect on what this year has brought, or taken, from us.

If you manage an organization you may, additionally, be focused on end-of-year activities.

We work hard to enjoy it; but, this time of year can easily feel like a gauntlet to be survived, rather than a season to be enjoyed.

In the Nativity story, the angels appear to shepherds and announce the birth of Jesus with this statement, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” As the story continues, however, there was only a relatively brief time of peace for Jesus, Mary and Joseph before they fled to Egypt to escape the genocide ordered by a fearful king.

Peace, especially the peace derived from external sources or circumstances, is elusive. It is rarely found and, even more rarely, maintained. However, when we think of peace, it’s natural to look externally: “If only my family got along!” “If only I had received that contract!” “If only….”

I’d like to offer to you this important idea: peace is a mindset. Peace is a state of mind. It’s something I can control. It’s internal, not external.

In other words: Peace can be yours if you choose it. Peace is not the absence of problems or turmoil.

[ttshare]Peace is our ability to enjoy contentment, confidence and hope in the midst of problems or turmoil. [/ttshare]

Here’s what helps me find and maintain peace:

• Gratefulness: I have a daily habit of writing down three things I’m grateful for. This helps remind me of the good that I enjoy. It gives me a healthier perspective and framework for viewing my day. I can anticipate and expect to find good things throughout my day.

• Set and Accomplish Simple, Clear Goals: I have three tendencies which don’t serve me well: I tend to set too many goals. I tend to over-complicate them. And, I tend to spend too much time planning and not enough time executing. I’ve learned to set 1-2 simple goals and get them done. This reassures that I’m making progress and moving forward. It helps me create peace.

• Prayer and Meditation: Contemplative prayer and meditation are known to reduce blood pressure and anxiety. They are positively correlated with increased feelings of joy, satisfaction and focus. Like many people, I have a difficult time sitting still and quieting myself. However, I’ve found that prayer (which, in part, is, for me, the active acknowledgment of my Creator) and meditation (which, for me, is stillness and focused thought) have dramatic impact on my ability to experience peace.

• Intentional Appreciation: This has been personally challenging; but the impact has surprised me. I’ve recently begun a daily practice of finding one thing to appreciate about someone else. As it turns out, other people like to be appreciated; so I get to experience their smiles and/or warmth. Also, it helps me become a “good-finder” in people and circumstances around me.

• Pursue Simplicity: This pursuit may differ by individual; but, for me, it’s come to mean two things: first, taking the shortest, easiest path to accomplish something. And, accepting 80%. We often make things too complicated. For example, I don’t enjoy shopping; so I take the easier path and do most of my holiday shopping on Amazon. I tend to focus too heavily on perfection. So, my pursuit of simplicity allows me to accept 80% of my original expectation as acceptable. When I begin to feel frustrated by someone else’s work, or I find myself stuck (not ready to complete my own work) I ask myself, “Is this at 80%?” If the answer is, “Yes”, in most cases, it’s good enough.

How could the remainder of this year be different for you by choosing two or three of the actions, making them daily practices? I’ll bet it’ll take you less time than you imagine.

Why don’t you try an experiment this holiday season? Why don’t you try to cultivate peace?

What actions will you begin to take? Let me know!