Do you always put up your Christmas tree on the first weekend in December?  Is It’s a Wonderful Life firmly entrenched in your holiday viewing list even though you’ve seen it more times than you can count?  Do you faithfully go down to your local playhouse every yuletide to watch this year’s version of the Nutcracker?

Can there be anything more enjoyable than creating memories year after year with your family and friends?

Many of the stories during the holiday season often evoke thoughts on the possibilities of magic and miracles. And in that spirit, we would like to wish you the greatest gift of all: a wonderful life. But no matter how much we wish it, remember that most of that magic will have to come from you and your efforts to make it so, just like George Bailey.

This holiday season we wish you hope.

Many people may confuse hope and faith, and while they can be interchanged, think of faith as being almost certain the sun will rise tomorrow, and hope as feeling that even if the sun doesn't rise, it could still be a good day.

Free stuff? From the government? OUR government?

These days you’re more likely to hear about government cutbacks than bold new initiatives.  Whether it’s in the form of a stripped down IRS or another looming government shutdown, it seems Uncle Sam is tightening his belt. But just because the Feds are running a little leaner doesn’t mean there still aren’t some freebies available for you at the many dot.gov sites.  From free online recipes to interactive travel guides, there’s a little bit of something for everyone.  Here are just a few:

You may enjoy your work, but do you oftentimes feel as though you aren't getting anything done, despite the long hours you're putting in? What about the rest of your life? Do you have time to enjoy being with your family? Or do you feel like there's just too much pressure like you're on some crazy roller coaster, trying your best just to hang on?

One of the best-selling time management books on Amazon addresses these issues and offers sage advice on how to deal with them. Greg McKeown's Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less argues that if people were more selective about what they consider essential then they would have more control over their own choices. Too much of what we spend our time on tends to be trivial, which not only threatens our success at work, but trickles down into our personal lives as well.

As the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks approaches, you might consider starting a new tradition to commemorate the day — a September 11 journal.

Keeping a journal is a way to not only keep the memories alive, but can help you sort out the emotions you may feel about the event. Whether you decide to show it to anyone is up to you; you may decide thirty years from now that you want to share it. You might choose to keep the journal on paper, online, or perhaps create a photo album.  

“After all is said and done, more is said than done.”— Anonymous

If you Google “procrastination,” you'll get over 11.5 million results. It's a problem just about everybody encounters from time to time. Many people agonize over never seeming to get anything done or only finishing projects at the last minute. Not only does procrastination cause a lot of stress, but it can also deplete one's self-esteem and confidence.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. The truth is we DO usually (finally) accomplish things. But often we've put ourselves through so much emotional or mental tension that we only see that we've procrastinated once again. Most chronic procrastinators keep to-do lists with the hope that somehow it will change things this time; often they've put things off so long that the list is so long they'll never manage to finish it.

July 4th, 1776. The Declaration of Independence, a document announcing our independence from England had just been signed by 56 courageous men. Afterwards, they all headed over to Thomas Jefferson's for a big party. They patted each other on the back around the grill, tossed back a couple of cold ales and threw the old football around. Meanwhile that crazy nut John Hancock nearly burned his wig off lighting firecrackers.

Well, not quite.

Even though the Declaration had been signed, things were far from settled. The Revolutionary War was still going on, and wouldn’t end for another seven years. Fourth of July celebrations didn't become a “thing” until after the War of 1812, and ever since it's been the United States' favorite summer party.

Did you know that a survey of small business owners found that about 50% only take major holidays off—or that many take NO DAYS OFF AT ALL? Here are 6 great reasons that you should take at least one vacation each year:

1. Relieve stress. Studies show that you can feel the effects of lower stress up to five weeks later.
2. Improve productivity. You'll come back feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, with renewed energy and creativity.

Your goal during the holidays should be to enjoy yourself and your loved ones, but that's practically impossible to do if you're feeling too much stress. Here are some things you can do to prevent that anxiety from spoiling your good times:

1. Pay attention to your health.
Too many projects and activities can stress anyone out, but don't let them keep you from taking care of yourself. Make sure you're getting plenty of sleep, eating properly, and exercising. Combat winter's dry air by taking steamy showers. Dress warmly and appropriately during cold weather. There's nothing like getting sick to take all the fun out of the holiday season.

For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time to relax— particularly after we’ve eaten a second helping of turkey and dressing and ‘tested’ the pumpkin pie once more just to make sure it still tastes like it did the first time.

Thanksgiving is also a time for friends, family and fun. From the comforts of our table to the annual holiday spectacles like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or the Dallas Cowboys’ yearly tilt, Thanksgiving has a lot to offer. With all the hustle and bustle of the day, it can be easy for us to forget another important part of Thanksgiving: giving thanks.

According to the New York Times, the 2014 elections had the “worst voter turnout in 72 years.”  They went on to say “the national turnout was 36.3 percent; only the 1942 federal election had a lower participation rate at 33.9 percent.”

Did YOU vote last year?

What does it matter, you ask? “There are millions of people in this country, and I’m just one vote.”

If you were to describe your life at the moment, how many of us would use the word ‘busy.’ How many of you have never ending ‘to-do’ lists?

If someone asks you how you are – How many of you would reply ‘Good….but busy.’ Why are we so obsessed with packing our schedules, thinking a mile a minute, rushing around with no time to stop and smell the roses? There is an obsession with needing to do something all of the time, a cultural badge of honour. It’s not unusual to wake up and scroll through your feeds before even saying ‘Good morning’ to the person lying next to you, or checking in with yourself.

As a society we have never worked more hours in a week than we do now; we have never pushed ourselves so hard. Our list of things ‘to do’ never ends - it just keeps getting bigger. And are we happier for it?
 
When was the last time you just sat and did nothing? Reflected? Took time out for yourself just to ‘be’?
 
If this resonates with you or you’ve ever found yourself feeling stuck in cycles of stress, dissatisfaction and discontent, or unsure how to simply relax and find some inner peace, then the practice of mindfulness is for you.
 
Mindfulness is the art of living in the moment, rather than 2 minutes ahead or 2 weeks behind. This style of thinking allows you to wholly experience everything in your life; taking time to focus on the present. The benefits don’t stop there. It’s also been found to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), it allows you to handle stress better, and more recently, ‘mindful eating’ has been linked to weight loss.
 
So, how can I get involved?
 
Melli O’Brien, of MrsMindfulness.com, presents The Mindfulness Summit; 31 Days of Mindfulness a FREE 31-day online summit this October 1-31st designed to bring mindfulness to everyone, giving you the opportunity to learn mindfulness from the comfort of your own home, from some of the world’s most respected teachers.

There are people in this country who work hard every day
Not for fame or fortune do they strive
But the fruits of their labor are worth more than their pay
And it's time a few of them were recognized
Hello, America. Let me thank you for your time

                - Alabama

Do you remember learning about Labor Day in school? An American holiday since the 1880s, it celebrates what workers can accomplish together when they organize. Unions and the labor movement fought for things like Social Security, the 8-hour workday, unemployment insurance, and against child labor. While unions are on the decline nowadays, the American Worker is still out there, more often in the form of a self-employed individual, exhibiting that same spirit of risk-taking, ambition, and hard work that put Labor Day on the calendar.  

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things.
The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling
which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.
The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight,
nothing which is more important than his own personal safety,
is a miserable creature
and has no chance of being free
unless made and kept so
by the exertions
of better men than himself.
~John Stuart Mill

April 19, 1775 to September 3, 1783 is 3,059 days.

When we left for Pine Point Beach in Maine for a few days of R&R, I had high hopes of doing some research I’d been wanting to do in between relaxing on the beach and generally chilling out.

That was Tuesday.

On Sunday, I was shocked to realize our time away was slipping like sand through an hourglass. I completed only about ¼ of my research and didn’t really start relaxing until Friday. Clearly my plans and my execution were not in sync.