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elib.tech Exclusive… sharing elsewhere will result in being banned!Class OverviewIn this class, we’ll discuss simple and practical ways to flow through the next two months with intention, connection and a whole lot of gratitude to have an Extraordinary Holiday Season! (Check out the Top 10 Big Ideas from the class below!)Your ProfessorCarrie Contey, PhD co-founded the Slow Family Living movement. Her scholarly and hands-on research gave birth to CALMS: A Guide to Soothing Your Baby & What Babies Want: Calming and Communicating With Your Baby.How to Have an Extraordinary Holiday SeasonA few years ago I noticed a pattern. Right around the end of October clients would come into my office feeling stressed, out of sorts and uneasy about the approaching holidays. They saw it as something to endure vs. something to enjoy. I checked in with myself and I realized I was in the same boat. I was not looking forward to the travel and the shopping and the hustle bustle of it all. I knew I couldn’t control how everything unfolded nor could I opt out of all of the “have tos,” but what I did recognize was that I could change how I approached it all. That fall I decided to get very intentional about my holiday season. I took time to decide how I wanted to feel. I got clear on a few simple things I would need to do for me, everyday, to stay grounded and connected to myself and the people around me. And, most of all, I decided to focus on all the things I was feeling grateful for — the spirit of the season, my family, my friends, my life!Those three simple shifts: Set clear intentions about how I wanted to feel. Figure out what I needed to do for my sweet self to stay grounded. Focus on what I appreciate about my life and express gratitude everyday.…changed everything! Since then I’ve used my tools (with some juicy additions) every year. It works so well that I share this information with clients and friends. I’m happy to report that it’s changing the way people approach the holiday season for the better. I uncovered the secrets to making the holidays extraordinarily one’s own and I’m excited to share them with you. Here’s a sneak peek at some of my favorites:    The Top 10 Big Ideas1. Clarify How You Want to FeelWhat is the spirit of the holiday season for you? Connection? Joy? Celebration? Reflection? How do you want your holiday season to feel? Easy? Slow? Creative? Rich? How do you want to feel? Free? Loving? Generous? Open? There’s no right way, there’s just the way that’s right for you. My guess is there’s a spirit, an essence of the season, that you want to tap into and experience? Taking the time to clarify how you want to feel and why you want to feel it, and then affirming that regularly is the quickest way to bring more of that feeling into your life.2. Assess and Implement a PlanThis is YOUR holiday season. You have the right and ability to make a plan for how you want it to go. SO, let’s do just that. Let’s step back and think about all that COULD be part of the next two months. Then we’ll outline the have-tos, want-tos, and in-betweens to weed out the unnecessary and get you to the core of what you really desire. This solid framework sets your mind at ease and puts you on a path towards having a truly extraordinary holiday season. 3. Get Grounded – You FirstThe best gift we can give everyone around us is the gift of staying grounded. When we are grounded and present with ourselves, we are much more grounded and present with others. And when we are grounded and present with others we are more pleasant to be around.  And when we are more pleasant to be around, miraculously others are easier to be with as well. It’s amazing how that works! The quickest way to bring yourself into the present moment is to acknowledge what you’re feeling. Learning to becoming skilled at “checking in” with yourself and then doing something that minimizes stress and maximizes ease will serve you well as a person, parent and partner.4. Proactively Communicate with Family and FriendsYou are an amazing person with incredible dreams and ideas. And you’ve put in all this energy to create your intentions and plans – but no one knows it yet. Nobody can read your mind, so it’s your opportunity to share how you would like to see things unfold. I crafted a few tools and helpful hints that you can use proactively – before the event is happening – to let your friends and family know where you’re coming from and what you’re thinking. When you communicate clearly with kindness, the possibility of getting more of what you want, skyrockets!5. Develop the Attitude of GratitudeThe quickest way to get more of the goodies you want in your life is by focusing on what’s working, what’s fun, what you are loving and what you are appreciating about your life/your family/the season. Cultivating a daily gratitude practice, especially during this time of year, is a beautiful way to tune yourself toward the sweetness of life. One thing I always say is…what you appreciate, appreciates!6. Meet the Moments and ConnectYou can’t always control what’s going on around you – but you can decide who you want to be for yourself and the people around you. You can decide how you show up in the moments. You can decide how you respond to what’s happening. Intentionally meeting the moments with grace is a skill that serves you well in the midst of family gatherings, holiday parties, school performances and all the other bustling activities of this season.7. Review the Game Plan with Your PeopleOn the big days when you are gathering with friends and family beyond your little unit, remember to give the people around you, especially partners and kids, a clear understanding of what you need from them. Communicating your expectations and what may happen can reduce your stress and anxiety. And when you’re less stressed, everyone is less stressed.8. Put the Oxygen Mask on Yourself, Then Help OthersThat’s right – your family is hooked into you, your stability, and your emotions. The second things take a turn, the energy can shift and a good moment is spoiled. In order to keep things even keel – you’ve got to keep yourself balanced and regulated. Breathing techniques, using moisture and heat, along with changing surroundings all work to bolster your emotional health. Then you can address the needs of the people around you with connection, empathy, and a heaping dose of gratitude and love. Doesn’t that sound extraordinary?!9. Foster EmpathyWalk a mile in someone’s shoes, eat a fruit cake with someone’s fork, or cook a turkey in someone’s kitchen – however you want to phrase it – fostering empathy changes lives. The more we practice looking at the motivations, desires, and behaviors of someone else, the more we develop a connection and understanding with that person. Fostering empathy shifts negative attitudes, harsh decisions, and blanket judgments to more open communication and deeper relationships. Give it a chance, you might uncover some gratitudes along the way10. Keep It RollingBeing more intentional, grounded and grateful is not just a good thing to do for the holiday season. It’s a way to live all year long. And not only that, it’s the quickest way to transform your life from ordinary to extraordinary. Learn how you can keep that train rolling in 2014 and have your Best Year Yet!