Every Monday Matters: 4 simple rules for enjoying the holidays

By Matthew Emerzian

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It's the holiday season, and we all know what that can mean — traffic seems to get worse, lines at the grocery store seem to get longer, the family sometimes seems to get annoying (fortunately, not in my case), the waistline seems to get bigger (unfortunately, in my case), and the bank account seems to get smaller. In other words, the holidays can oftentimes make it hard for us to smile and enjoy ourselves, and we completely miss the joy they are intended to bring. But aren't we missing the point?

Last week, I was taking a spin class at my gym. My spin class lasts for one hour, and after 60 minutes of riding a stationary bike and sweating like a pig, I am usually not in the most self-reflective space. (I don't know, maybe my brain is just in shock from the loud, pounding music they play for the entire hour.) Regardless, I am usually in survival mode by the 55th minute. But last week was different because our instructor said something to us before we rode up that hill on the final song. And, as crazy as this might sound, it was something very profound and something I am going to take into every holiday season from this year forward.

After explaining to us how excited we should be for Thanksgiving, he shared with us that he enjoys the holidays more than anyone he has ever met because he always focuses on four things every year. My guess is that this got the attention of most of my fellow riders ... and fellow road-ragers, and line-waiters, and weight-gainers. I know it got my attention.

He then gave us his four rules for making sure to enjoy the holidays: One, enjoy cooking amazing food. Two, enjoy eating that amazing food. Three, enjoying eating that amazing food with people you love. And, four, enjoy having fun with those people you love by smiling and laughing as much as you can.

Now, I have to be completely honest. I do like the holidays, but I don't love the extensive travel that comes with them. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I drive nearly 1,400 miles and spend roughly 22 hours on the road. And those are not the easiest of miles because we all know the traveling statistics during the holidays. In other words, the traffic is brutal.

But, this year, I decided to take the advice of my spin instructor, and I approached my drive with a whole new attitude. I was going to smile more. I was going to acknowledge my fellow road warriors and consider the fact that they were all trying to get to see their loved ones just as quickly as I was. And, you know what, it worked. It was actually the most peaceful and cathartic holiday drive I have ever had.

And, once I got to my parents' house, I thought about his four rules again. And, lo and behold, they worked again. They genuinely allowed me to just be in the moment and truly enjoy my Thanksgiving. I enjoyed cutting the tips off the string beans, the turkey was the juiciest I have ever had, I learned things about my cousins that I never knew, and I smiled and laughed more than I can ever remember during a Thanksgiving dinner. It was magic ... and it was awesome.

I can't wait until I see my instructor again this week to inform him that, because of his four rules, he may have some new competition in the "enjoying the holidays" category. And, the good news is that there is still a month left in the holiday season, so you can try them out, too. These four simple rules matter!

TAKE ACTION TODAY

1. Smile at EVERYONE you see today.

2. Keep track of how many times you smile and laugh today.

3. If you are having trouble smiling, here are a few suggestions to help:

• Make faces at yourself in the mirror.

• Shake your body like it's laughing from inside.

• Jump on the bed.

• Hug someone you love.

• Visit a pet store.

4. At the end of your day of smiling, notice how you feel and whether people acted differently around you.

Happiness leads to smiling, and smiling leads to happiness. Happiness is your natural immunity, having a profound, positive effect on your health and well-being. If you are happy, smile. If you aren't happy, smile anyway. It will help you get there.

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