Don’t ever re-create experiences. Don’t try to orchestrate a moment was magical once-upon-a-time. You will get frustrated and you will drive everyone around you completely crazy.
There are so many factors involved in a magical experience that it is impossible to make it happen again. We can cherish their memory, we can talk about them with family and friends, but we can’t re-create it.
This frustration is especially evident around the holidays. Here in the USA, we have a lot of emotional capital invested in Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think everyone remembers a ‘perfect’ holiday moment. Problems come when we make one perfect moment the measure of every moment that follows. We get stuck into an evaluation mode, “Well, this Christmas wasn’t as good as last year.” or we stress out when things aren’t going perfectly. Unfortunately, these behaviors ruin the moment we have.
My wife and I are just finishing up our 10 year anniversary celebration. We will never have this moment again. We will remember it, but we will never try to re-live it. Ten years together has taught us that much.
Embrace the moment you have. Talk about memories, don’t try to re-create them. You will be happier, and everyone will be happier with you.
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This is great advice for not just holidays, but so many things. We easily get stuck on something, some moment that can overtake and overwhelm us that we never want to give it up. We do need to stop measuring everything against that moment or life will just pass you by.
Another great post!