Greater Good - The Science of a Meaningful Life

The holidays are upon us! As I discuss in this video and this posting, there are lots of ways to counter the rampant materialism and hyper-busyness of the holidays (remembering that neither consumerism nor being crazy-busy makes us happy). This weekend I'm going to talk with my kids about what their favorite holiday rituals are. I'm hoping I'll be able to focus them a little less on their letters (uh, wish-lists) for Santa and a little more on all the fun—and meaningful—things we do during the holidays that aren't materialistic.

What holiday traditions does your family have? I would love to repost a whole bunch of altruistic and otherwise not-materialistic things you do with your kids. Perhaps you'll inspire those who've come to dread this time of year, or make December even more meaningful for people who already embrace that holiday feeling.

	Happiness How-To Video: Making the Holidays Happier

© 2009 Christine Carter, Ph.D.

"If you are doing your best, you will not have time to worry about failure."
–Robert Hillyer

People often say things to me like, "You must be the best mother in the world." Hah! This of course makes me laugh out loud (see this post if you want some of my real life parenting don'ts). One thing I do have going for me is that I try really hard. I believe in the power of intentions: by being clear about what I am intending to do as a mother, I have a greater chance of actually doing it. I also believe in the power of making my parenting intentions public: when I tell people what I'm working on this week, they can help hold me accountable.

Hence this new Monday column: Walking the Talk. A simple statement about my intentions for the week.

This week I'm crazy busy. Just getting through my email will be a challenge, not to mention actually doing my job and writing a few blog posts! (A moment of gratitude: I have a job I love so much that I'm avoiding four days worth of unread email by doing it.) I know that when I get this busy, I'm happier and calmer when I meditate in the morning. I also know that I'm a better parent both when I meditate, and when I'm happier. Research shows that if the only thing parents do is practice mindfulness, their kids become better behaved. So this week, I'm going to get back into the happiness habit of meditating in the morning, and I'm going to do it using a happiness habit tracker . My first ridiculously easy turtle step? Just sitting on my mediation cushion, for any length of time, every morning. This morning I put in 10 minutes trying to do a loving kindness mediation, and even though my mind never really quieted down I do feel calmer this morning. And very happy to mark a big fat X on my tracker.

Have a great week, everyone!

About the name of this column—a couple of people have suggested that the expression should be "Walking the Walk." This is shorthand for "She talks the talk, but does she walk the walk?" Hence, walking the talk means that I'm attempting to have my actions match my words, my parenting reflect all that I blog about.

© 2009 Christine Carter, Ph.D.

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