“Peace is not something you wish for, it is something you make, something you are, something you do, and something you give away.” ~ Robert Fulghum

Dear Universe,

I can’t believe it’s already December!

That means the countdowns are starting.  A countdown to holiday get togethers, Christmas celebrations, a countdown to the New Year.

A countdown to a fresh start in 2014, which means a countdown to new New Year’s resolutions or new hopes.

But instead of counting down in a nervous anxiousness of lists upon lists of things to get done, plans to be made, gifts to be wrapped, resolutions to commit to, I think we should make a point to stop now and then.

Yes, the holidays can be a stressful time.  Yes, the raw winter days and nights can put some of us in a funk.  Yes, sometimes the idea of another year ending can bring the blues.

That’s why it’s so important to try and make December a truly merry, merry, happy month.

For the next thirty-one days, I think we should all take a moment each day to pause.

Yes, just a pause.

Maybe the moment is a minute, maybe sometimes it’s more.  But take a pause to take a deep breath—or five or six.  Take a pause to savor your favorite winter treat like a hot chocolate—overflowing with as many marshmallows as your mug allows—or a hot, cinnamony apple cider.  Take a pause to stop what you’re doing and sit—to watch the snowflakes fall—or to simply close your eyes to the outside world.

In other words, just take a pause for peace.

In all the chaos and mental chatter this month can bring, don’t wait for peace; create it.

I guarantee if you take a pause whenever you can for the next thirty one days, the month won’t seem so overwhelming or crazed.

So go ahead, take a pause.  And if it helps, add it to your daily to-do list.

Just make sure it makes it to the top.  Because making a moment for peace should be top priority.

Here’s to a peaceful, pause-filled December.

With Gratitude,

A