No challenge yesterday, as you might have noticed. As I told you on Facebook, I'm working through some personal things and needed a moment. Thank you for understanding.

BUT HAVE NO FEAR DAY 7 IS HERE.

Day 7’s challenge is the most challenging yet, because it requires you to be proactive.

Christmastime, though wonderful, can elevate everyone’s level of stress. Between shopping, wrapping, baking and trying to appease all sides of the family, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We set high expectations, as if there’s a certain way things “should” be. Because it’s “tradition,” because it’s what your Mom did or maybe because you saw it on Pinterest.

And then something goes wrong. The perfect present is sold out at the store. You forgot to get eggs for the cookies. The Christmas tree lights get tangled.

This year, my Christmas is a bit tangled. My tradition is thrown off and my life kinda feels like a pile of tangled Christmas tree lights.

“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”

— Maya Angelou

The next time something doesn’t go according to your plan, stop yourself from a hasty reaction. Trust me, I know that’s not easy. I used to make a habit of quick, negative reactions and even though I practice mindfulness on the reg, sometimes I still struggle when things go “wrong.”

Take a pause. Think about what is happening. Do tangled lights really deserve to make you that emotional? If they are, why? In your effort to be festive and merry, you’re experiencing the opposite. Why? Are you putting too much pressure on yourself? Are you setting expectations of the holiday instead of accepting what happens, as it happens?

Maybe those tangled Christmas lights are what you needed to reconnect with the true spirit of the season.

Remember: Pause. Don’t react. Observe and accept.