This is the season of hope, no matter which holiday you celebrate. Christians celebrate the coming of Christ, Wiccans the rebirth of the sun. Hanukkah commemorates the miraculous candles that burned for eight days on one day’s worth of oil. Kwanzaa is rooted in an ancient harvest celebration of the first fruits. Although a bit earlier in the month, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha in memory of Ibraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. And children eagerly await the coming of Santa.

We are all human beings, and we are all connected. As John Donne once wrote, “No man is an island, entire in himself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Take a few minutes this week to appreciate the connection of spirit and hope around the world, no matter your beliefs. Or theirs.

It’s the Ides of December—smack dab in the middle of the holiday rushing season. This week find a way to take at least ten minutes all to yourself every day. Even that little bit of peace and quiet can help keep your nerves from reaching that fraying point.

Here’s a special Holiday Challenger for you:

Embrace imperfection.

This year, give up any attempt to have a “perfect” holiday. Instead enjoy the foibles, challenges and outright failures that will give this season its own unique flavor. Memories are made from the imperfections. What do you remember—and laugh over—from past holidays? What are the stories you tell? I’ll bet they aren’t about the times everything went right!

So embrace the season—all of it—and appreciate its imperfections.

Change your focus this holiday season. Instead of stressing over doing and getting, try focusing on being and experiencing. Notice your feelings and embrace them. What’s happening to you right now?

Take the time to smell the cookies baking, the resinous scent of fresh pine. Feel the fresh air on your face. Catch snowflakes on your tongue, if you’re lucky enough to live in a place that gets snow. (Don’t worry about February and March yet. Enjoy the first December snows for what they are.)

Don’t rush from one event to another; slow down and really be in the moment.

Many Americans will be traveling this week. Skies, trains and highways will be crowded. Keep your stress levels down by focusing on the positive aspects of your journey. Can’t think of any? Well, here’s a few from me:

• Think about the fun you’ll have when you get there.
• Make up stories about the people (strangers) you see around you.
• Be thankful you’re able to get away. Many people can’t.
• Play games. There are some ideas at the Manage Your Muse site.
• And as a last resort, remind yourself that this trip is just one weekend out of your life. If it’s truly miserable, start figuring out ways to improve it next year.

With the holiday season fast approaching, resolve to make it easier on yourself this year. Start planning now to do less and enjoy the season more. What chores or events do you like the least? Which are the most draining? Figure out a way to get those things off your holiday To Do list! You — and your family — will have a much happier time if you’re all a little less stressed.

I saw something the other day that really bothered me. I was eating lunch with my husband at a deli when a slightly older couple, obviously married, took the booth across from ours. He whipped out his newspaper and she pulled out a paperback novel. They proceeded to eat lunch without exchanging a single word. It was as if each of them was locked in their own insular world, isolated from each other and everyone around them.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with tuning out the world once in a while. We all need a break on occasion. But when tuning out is your standard operating procedure, you’re missing out on a lot.

This week, just notice where and when you tune out the world. What happens when you do?

 Happy Birthday, Jen! My life—and the world—is better just because you’re in it.

What have you done for yourself, lately? So often we are so busy doing, doing, doing for others—our jobs, our families, our communities, our church, and so on—that we never take any time to attend to our own needs.

So schedule some time for yourself this week. And honor that appointment like you’d honor an appointment with the head of your country. Because you’re worth it!

How do you make a difference in the world? How is the world a better place today because you are in it?

This week, make the time and the effort to make a positive change. It might be as simple as being friendly to a grumpy sales clerk, or paying for the car behind you at a toll gate. It might be volunteering, or picking up some litter, or letting someone in line move in front of you.

You’ll be surprised at how good that small expenditure of time and energy will make you feel.

Did you have fun last week? Do you have plans for having fun this week?

Fun doesn’t always just come along, although it can. Often, you have to help it out a bit. So this week, schedule in some time for fun — and plan for it. What’s just plain fun to do? Make it happen!