Latest / Why Not Today? with Leslie Kane / Why Not Today? Season 1 - Episode 20 with Leslie Kane, Be Intentional in December and say "Why Not Today?" in December!

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Why Not Today? Season 1 - Episode 20 with Leslie Kane, Be Intentional in December and say "Why Not Today?" in December! · Why Not Today? with Leslie Kane

• 0:00
  Hello, my name is Leslie Kane and I am the host of the Why Not Today podcast.
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  This is a podcast to celebrate people who have been courageous and said, why not today?
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  I started this podcast in honor of my father, Patrick Kane, who often did say, why not today?
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  I'm based in Reston, Virginia, a Planned community right outside of Washington, DC, and thanks
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  for joining us today.
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  So today marks our 20th episode of this podcast.
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  I came up with this crazy idea based on somebody sharing a post on social media back in September.
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  And I'd always thought about doing a podcast.
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  And a friend of mine, I told her the story about why not today, which just kind of stuck
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  with me.
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  And then we were talking about the podcast and she's like, well, that's the name of your
• 0:48
  podcast and why not today?
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  So I started this on March 5th, 2021, which happened to be my father's birthday and the
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  day he passed away.
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  And as I said, I do this in honor of my father and to share his principles, ideas, but also
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  give people courage to say why not today.
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  So we've had 20 episodes, this is our 20th episode.
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  And so today I thought I'm just going to share from my heart and share as we approach the
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  holiday season, some ideas and thoughts I have about why not today.
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  So this is our 20th episode and I want to thank you for everybody that's listened, everybody
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  that's shared it, everybody that's commented, everybody's given me some suggestions.
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  I want to thank all my amazing guests.
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  We have had lots of great guests.
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  Started out with obviously people I know and then they introduced me to people they know.
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  And it has kind of grown that way.
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  And it has been very, it's definitely evolved and it is something I'm learning every day,
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  learning something new to make this better.
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  And if you have suggestions, I'm always open for them.
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  And so yeah, we've had amazing guests and lots of people from people that started businesses
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  to leaving corporate America, to running for office, to quitting a job to go work for a
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  nonprofit and then having to go back to work for corporate because of the money.
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  And people that have started franchisers because of franchises, because of a child's health
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  issues knowing that family was more important.
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  I had somebody I know shares the coach and shared about healing the hustle.
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  And I think we all need to slow down a little bit and realize, you know, are you doing what
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  you're passionate about?
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  I've had so many people recently talk about how much they just don't like work.
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  And I love what I do.
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  And I want more people to love what they do.
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  I've had people, as I said, run for office.
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  I had the former mayor of a town.
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  I had a good friend of mine that was running for office.
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  And I've had a couple of people run for different offices and not make it.
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  And one friend ran for office and did make it.
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  And she's going to share another episode about the lessons she learned for that.
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  I've had people share their faith about being courageous and doing somebody wrote a devotional.
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  I had people talk from I had somebody from a church.
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  I had somebody from a shelter share.
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  I had a friend of mine that has her own podcast and challenges you to live like your color
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  of your nail polish.
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  I had somebody that helps with the Small Business Administration with starting businesses.
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  I had a friend of mine that, unfortunately, through many surgeries, became addicted to
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  toxic drugs and she shares her survival story and how she was able to go through the process
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  and changing and getting healthy again.
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  I had Mary Kay Asch's assistant share on Mary Kay's anniversary.
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  And as you know, if you listen to this, I am a sales director with Mary Kay.
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  So I do talk about Mary Kay, but that's not the focus of this podcast.
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  And then last week, we had a friend of mine that's a musician.
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  Oh my gosh, she just opened my eyes to so many things.
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  So people here have been courageous and shared their stories.
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  And so this week, I thought it is the Saturday after Thanksgiving, well, this will air.
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  And what a perfect time to talk about the holidays and being intentional.
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  So first of all, happy Thanksgiving.
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  Hope everybody enjoyed time with your family.
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  And I love this weekend because it's kind of a time to reflect, to get ready for the
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  holidays.
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  But I really want to share with you guys today about being intentional in December and saying,
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  why not today to create a holiday for you that you enjoy and that has meaning to you
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  and gives you joy.
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  We get so wrapped up in the stress and the craziness of the holidays.
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  And sometimes we lose our joy and lose ourselves.
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  And we arrive at the day after Christmas just totally completely exhausted.
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  And I watch my family do that and my mother.
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  And you know what?
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  That's not the life that I want to design for me.
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  I'm going to share some ideas about creating the holiday season you want that gives you
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  joy and saying yes to the things that you want to do and how that can look like for
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  you.
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  Several years ago where I live, there's a beautiful town center and it's decorated gorgeous
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  for Christmas.
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  You have an ice skating rink, beautiful lights.
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  However, I found myself running in to the store and out of the store and hurrying to
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  grab this and hustling to do that and not really taking the time to look at the lights
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  and enjoy the season.
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  And so I started a practice several years ago about being intentional on December.
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  And literally I printed out a calendar and I have that calendar I'm sharing with you
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  guys today as a freebie for you to say why not today every single day in December to
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  do something that gives you joy to enjoy the holiday season.
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  There's so much hustle and bustle and craziness and getting the gifts and you know, I don't
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  know about you guys, but I need nothing.
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  And most people don't.
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  And we need to spend time with the people we care about and do the things we want to
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  do.
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  So this podcast is airing in 2022 and we've had a couple hard years and we have some years
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  where we weren't able to celebrate with family and do things and go to the parties.
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  Well, I think all the parties and all the things are back and full force.
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  And so I'm going to be intentional about doing the things I care about, spending time with
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  people that I care about and doing the little things to make a difference in other people's
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  life.
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  And so, as I said, I have a calendar that I'm going to share with you guys, a blind calendar.
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  It says why not today and it's December.
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  And I challenge each of you to take the month of December and share something or do something
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  every single day that gives you joy and do those things.
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  And it can be teeny tiny little things like look at Christmas lights, sit on your couch
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  and enjoy your Christmas tree.
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  It could be grabbing a coffee, fluffy coffee from Starbucks, a holiday coffee.
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  It could be, I mean, I've got so many ideas.
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  Oh, and there goes my alarm.
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  Alexa, turn off the timer.
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  Sorry about that.
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  But it could be watching a Christmas show or there's special Christmas shows you enjoy.
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  I know for me that I enjoy the Kennedy Center Honors and I looked it up and put it on my
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  calendar.
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  But you can Google it if you want to know, let me know what it is or let me know.
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  I can share that with you.
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  So it's watching that.
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  I love doing that.
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  It is, there's a CMA, a country music band.
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  They're doing a Christmas show.
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  I know a lot of other people probably have Christmas shows.
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  The lighting of the Christmas trees.
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  Those of us that live in North Virginia, have you gone downtown to look at the national
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  Christmas tree?
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  And I was listening to Radio the other day and they said there's another big Christmas
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  tree in D.C. you can go see.
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  One of my other favorite things in this area is to go to the Warp.
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  It's decorated beautiful.
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  I remember a couple years ago we were there at Thanksgiving and it was a little chilly
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  day and we're sitting there and there we're at this rum spillery and underneath the heaters
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  and it was just magical out there and then all of a sudden it started to snow.
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  And I shared it on social media and people were like it's snowing there?
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  Well it was fake snow.
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  But it was so much fun.
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  It was magical.
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  Where I live here in Reston next weekend, next Saturday Santa Claus will be coming by
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  barge and on with elves on paddle boards and there's music.
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  There's all kinds of activities and that's always a fun event.
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  My friend's restaurant that was with me to see that snow, she usually has fake snow and
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  a fire pit.
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  It is going to a Christmas craft show.
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  Not really to buy anything but look around and see what's there.
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  Send a note to somebody that you care about.
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  Not just like a Christmas card to everybody on the list and sign your name.
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  I know I love getting Christmas cards and I love hearing from people but I really enjoy
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  the handwritten note.
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  Just the thinking of you, just those little things, sticker.
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  You know if somebody pops in your head send them a text, send them a little card.
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  I am going to share also a why not today postcard I created that you can write a note on and
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  send it to a friend.
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  If you have a kid, one of your kids put it in their lunch box in the holidays.
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  Go to local pageants.
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  Is there a Nutcracker local?
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  I know Wolf Trap performing arts center here I think does next week and also a holiday
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  sing along.
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  Never been there and unfortunately I will be out of town so I will miss it.
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  Do you want to decorate for Christmas?
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  Do you want to or do you not?
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  You are allowed to say no to things too.
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  No is a complete sentence.
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  Say no to the things you don't want to go to.
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  If it is a party and you don't really feel like you need to be there or you are tired,
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  say no.
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  It is okay.
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  Decorate the way you want to decorate.
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  I am on the fence whether or not I am getting a Christmas tree because it is a little bit
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  of extra work to put the tree up although it gives me joy once it is there.
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  I think I have got an allergy when I touch the tree.
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  My fingers itch.
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  I have to put a glove to put the lights on.
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  I know I get it artificial but I am not going there yet.
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  Decorate the way you want to.
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  If you don't want to decorate that is okay too.
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  What gives you joy?
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  Decorate when you are ready.
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  I used to not decorate until the beginning of December and now I am going to decorate
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  probably later today.
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  There is a fun store called Mucket Country Store.
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  That is a fun thing to do.
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  Go to stores that are decorated.
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  Another fun thing in the Northern Virginia area is go to National Harbor.
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  The Gaylord Hotel is decorated beautifully.
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  You can go see ice which is a fun thing to do.
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  I did it once or twice and that was enough for me.
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  But you can still go into the Gaylord Hotel and the lobby is decorated beautifully.
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  You can watch.
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  They have a live show in there.
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  They have fireworks I think on Friday nights there.
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  There are so many fun things to do.
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  When the person sends you an invite, if you want to go, go.
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  If you think of somebody they pop in your head, call them.
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  If you want to meet them for coffee or lunch.
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  If you want to give back, there are so many ways to give back.
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  I do an adopt a mom program where I partner with an organization called FISH which is
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  friendly instant sympathetic help.
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  They provide food baskets for women in the area.
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  This year they have a need of 250 baskets and I provide a gift for every mother that
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  picks up her food basket.
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  A lot of times if moms cannot afford food they are not going to receive a gift.
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  A lot of the moms say can I open this on Christmas?
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  There are places that you can go help wrap gifts.
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  There are places that you can help give donations.
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  There is an elf shop I heard of that you can take things to them and then kids get to go
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  in and shop and pick the gifts they want.
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  As we approach the end of the year, do you want to clean out your closet?
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  You may have coats that when was the last time you wore it and are you really going
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  to ever wear it again?
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  And somebody else could use it.
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  Donate some gloves and scarves.
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  I know a lot of churches do a giving tree.
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  Grab a tag from there.
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  So as you can see there are a million and one ways to enjoy the holidays.
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  What gives you joy?
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  And what do you want to do?
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  And what do you want to say no to?
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  And look at your calendar and there are so many invites and make sure you don't fill
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  it so full that you don't get to enjoy the holiday season.
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  So that is my message that I want you guys to just enjoy the holiday season.
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  Be mindful of what you're doing and be present with the people you're with.
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  That is such a gift.
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  We don't need presence of things but we really need to be present with people and enjoy the
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  gift of people's time.
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  So whether it's a coffee or a walk or just as I said, texting somebody to tell them you
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  care.
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  And so those are some of my ideas.
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  And then I also want to share with you to think about new traditions, new things you
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  can do.
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  And also in being present, be present with your family and the things you do and don't
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  take it for granted.
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  You never know.
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  And as we've discovered the last couple years where everything can change in a moment's
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  notice.
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  And your family tradition of doing the same thing every year and you take it for granted
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  that you always do it.
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  But then what happens when it doesn't happen anymore?
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  Now of course, you know, that changes a lot with when people pass away, but also it can
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  change people move away or get married or have babies or tradition changes.
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  So I'm from a big family and for my entire life, we were all together for Christmas Eve.
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  We actually did a Christmas the night before the night before we did Christmas Eve.
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  We did Christmas morning.
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  We could do Christmas dinner.
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  We did the day after Christmas and it was like nonstop family time and we kind of laughed
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  at oh my gosh, how much togetherness can we have?
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  And we don't get to do all those things now because things have changed.
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  So appreciate the things you're doing and be present with the people.
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  Take the pictures and so you have some of the memories and as I said, be present with
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  the people and enjoy your time and create as I said, create those new traditions.
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  Nine years ago when my father was diagnosed with cancer, we went started a cane family
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  turkey trot walking around the neighborhood.
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  Well we moved it to my neighborhood on the lake and I always teased it was a 5k or 10k
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  and my family laughed at me.
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  They're like Leslie, it's not that long and it's not a strenuous walk, but there were
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  five or 10 canes at the event.
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  Well we did it yesterday or Thursday for Thanksgiving and there weren't as many in my family member
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  for traveling reasons and being sick and whatever, but we've created a new kind of family, a
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  community of friends and family that we are able to get together.
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  New people in that area that didn't know anybody to friends and had family visiting and our
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  friend Beth, we have a tradition, our strenuous turkey trot, we walk a whole mile and a half,
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  but halfway we have to stop for mimosa stop with my friend Beth's host.
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  And last night on Thursday she did a beautiful toast to my father and bringing community
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  together and I think that's what he did and that's what I hope to duplicate and replicate
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  and encourage you guys to create those new traditions.
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  So the other thing is I will have an episode next week and to think about, a friend of
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  mine wrote a book called Jingle and Joy and coming up with your intentional December calendar,
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  think about not just focusing on the jingle and the craziness and the perfect wrapped
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  gift and the perfect everything, but the joy of it and taking time for the holidays as
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  I said, what gives you joy, what is important to you.
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  So I encourage you, as I said, to be intentional in December.
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  Make it a December to remember, to create those memories, do the fun things, spend the
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  time with people.
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  Share on my, on social media, share on the Why Not Today podcast group, like what are
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  the things you're doing.
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  I actually, I think I'm going to do some giveaways like Jodi who's going to talk about Jingle
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  and Joy, she has a book, have that as a giveaway and I'm going to give away some things too.
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  So based on people who like, share, comment in December, we're going to do some fun giveaways.
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  We're going to make this a fun December.
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  And so I encourage you not only for you to be intentional, but encourage somebody else
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  to be intentional.
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  Encourage somebody to listen to this podcast, share it with somebody, to encourage somebody
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  to focus on the right reasons for the season.
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  What brings you joy, you know, and as I said, it is not the hustle and bustle of the holidays,
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  but enjoying family time, prayer time, and based on your faith, what is important to
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  you and how do you want to remember the holiday season.
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  So encourage other people.
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  Also, I encourage you to get some Why Not Today gear.
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  It's a shameless plug.
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  You know, we have t-shirts, I have t-shirts, I have cups, I have vinyls, I actually made
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  some Christmas ornaments and a coffee mug and I have created the logo with a Santa hat
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  on it.
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  So I've changed it a little bit for the holidays.
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  So if you were interested in getting something for you or somebody you care about, say why
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  not today, then I encourage you to do that.
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  So in every episode, I connect it back to my father.
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  Well, this is pretty easy.
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  But in thinking about this, and as I walk around the lake every day past her old house,
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  and family and holidays was very important.
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  My dad actually grew up an only child.
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  And so for holidays, it was pretty boring for him and kind of sad, I think, because
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  he didn't have all the, well, not the chaos, but he didn't have all the activity.
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  And so he created traditions for our family that we always welcomed anybody.
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  If you didn't have a place to go, you were always welcome.
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  And our family grew, not only did we have a big family, or do we have a big family,
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  but it grew exponentially with the people that we invited that needed a place to go.
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  And so I challenge you to invite somebody else to, you know, include somebody else in
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  your holidays, however you can, because there are a lot of lonely people and sad people
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  and people, you know, it is a hard time if you've lost a loved one, it makes it even
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  harder.
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  My younger sister, Amanda, who has Down syndrome often, and holidays, she's sad.
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  And she says what we all think is she misses her daddy.
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  And I definitely miss my dad during the holidays.
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  There's one thing I didn't miss about him.
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  He was meticulous about decorating the Christmas tree with tinsel.
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  And it often was a big argument, because of course, six kids wanted to decorate and do
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  it our way, but he had to do it perfectly.
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  But one year, kind of a funny Pat Kane story, to his detriment, he was being Mr. Perfect
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  decorating, and we used to have like 20 foot trees, the bigger the tree, the better.
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  He had to wire it to the railing, keep it up there.
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  One year he was decorating it on a ladder in a pair of cowboy boots and fell and broke
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  a tip.
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  So that was not very fun part of the holiday, but so many great memories of fun things that
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  we did as a family.
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  So create those memories, be intentional, and enjoy the holiday season and let me know
• 19:27
  what you did to be intentional.
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  So thanks again for listening.
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  We are going to have a special episode next week.
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  So share this with somebody else.
• 19:36
  We are on Spotify and Google and iTunes and all the places you can find podcasts.
• 19:43
  If you just search, why not today?
• 19:45
  We are on Facebook, we're on Instagram.
• 19:48
  And share this with somebody else and thanks for listening.
• 19:51
  And if this gives you value and joy, let me know.
• 19:54
  I'd love to hear from you guys.
• 19:55
  So this is Leslie Kane saying why not today, especially in December?
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  Bye.