If you’ve gone shopping recently, you’ve likely noticed that there are quite a few people out and about! Some folks love being immersed in the hustle and bustle and excitement.
However, as I’m not an enthusiastic shopper under the best of conditions, when the streets are full and the parking lots are fuller, I’d rather avoid it as much as I can.
It’s not that I want to avoid the joy and the giving and the celebrating, not at all. And in the big picture, my frustrations are pretty minor. For example, I dislike the waste of time spent waiting in lines, and I don’t enjoy the experience of finally figuring out exactly what I want to buy, only to find it’s available exactly nowhere.
Some folks, however, have significantly more serious frustrations. Take stress, for example. You might be feeling financial stress, lack-of-time stress, or the “judgment stress” that comes with thinking that you are not living up to expectations (even when the expectations are self-imposed.)
It can be even more dissatisfying when you, or the people around you, have the expectation that you are “supposed” to be cheerful at this time of year.
Perhaps instead of feeling joy and contentment, you feel frustration. Continue reading →
