As an American child, I was taught to dream. I was shown all the possibilities of being an adult through the modern convenience of television and movies, which included keeping a big home, furnishing it from top to bottom, wearing the latest styles, driving a new car, and taking my family to Disneyworld once a year. As an adult, I now struggle with the idea that I am entitled to those things. Many adults are conditioned to judge their success in life based on these experiences. A sense of entitlement and a culture of impatience is what prevents us from budgeting our income and eventually buries us under a mountain of debt.

Evaluation is crucial to getting the most out of life.   An opportunity to take stock of the good and the bad is truly the gift of the season.  The creators of the modern calendar could not have anticipated the positive side effect presented when given the chance to start fresh with a new year.  Each year we are held accountable to the goals of the previous year.  Each year we are inspired by the opportunity to create new goals.  Evaluating every aspect of our lives for successes and failures allows us to decide what areas are within our control and what areas control can be assumed.

While there is an expectation that the holidays should be a time for parties and giving and shopping and merriment, it is easy to get so caught up in what a person believes she should do, that she doesn’t realize until January that she has buried herself and her family under a mountain of debt and stress.  Though it may be November and the children (and husband) are begging for the latest toys and gadgets, there are ways to have a meaningful Christmas without breaking the bank and starting yet another year off weighed down by Christmas credit.

I love fall.  I love the month of October the best.  Every October, I get energized when the chill in the air begins to penetrate my late-summer clothing.  My chest tends to expand to near bursting when I drive on highway 196 to town and am assaulted by the bright reds, yellows, and oranges that flank the road.  I want to soak it all in.

September 16 is exactly 100 days before Christmas.  Not only are there presents to buy, gifts to wrap, cards to send, a party to plan, and a family meal to prepare, but there are other holidays and special occasions that demand action as well.