Remember folks, the end of the year is supposed to be filled with holiday cheer, not holiday jeer. Last year I noticed a lot of hostility and irritability in drivers around the holiday season especially around parking lots of malls and major shopping destinations. During a time when all of the major religious holidays are celebrating the light, I found darkness lashing out through snarling faces, violent hand gestures, and colorful language. (or was that just me? :)

This year I want do my part to align more with the light, and I want to share three actions I plan to implement to keep my spirit lifted (and hopefully lift others in the process).

First, I will give myself extra time when driving.

This is not reserved merely for times when I plan to go shopping. The extra shoppers on the road may affect my commute time as well, and so I plan to leave 5-15 minutes earlier than I normally would. This way I won’t be so annoyed when that driver that needs to try to speed around me on the left, is now stuck in that lane, and when realizing their right hand turn is approaching, signals for me to let them back in my lane. Since I will have extra time to get to my destination, I can let them in and laugh off the entire incident without it taking me away from my happy place.

Second, I will park at the back of the parking lot.

Time is a precious commodity. I do not want to waste it by driving around for hours hunting for the closest parking spot to the entrance all while fighting off other drivers searching for the same prize. More spaces are available in the back, and even though it’ll take longer to walk to and from the store, I’ll be getting in more steps and incorporating exercise into my daily routine. A win-win if you ask me.

Third, I will remind myself that all of the people are shopping so that they can show their friends and family their love and appreciation when exchanging gifts.

I can get caught up in my own agenda thinking that my needs are more important than others, yet if I can remember that others are doing the same thing and for similar reasons, then I can get out of my ego-centricity and share in the love, lightness, and true intent that the season offers. This will be a good practice when the car horns are honking incessantly in the line of cars turning left before the light turns red.

If you have any other suggestions to keep us all in the holiday spirit, feel free to share in the comments below. Let’s all do our part to keep the season bright!