Sometimes you have to give up to gain. As life changes, you may find that there are lifeways that hold you back, mire you in unhappy or uncomfortable places, and simply not contribute to better living. It is difficult to give up old ways especially if those ways are connected to good times in the past. But when life's habits prove to obstruct good living, the only choice you have is to either lessen those habits or rid your life of those ways altogether.
The best way to get rid of old ways is to replace those habits with new routines and behaviors. For example, it's clear that my family loves to get outside, so rather than simply hang out and indulge in all the treats over the holidays, planning a family hike for every holiday makes everyone happy, gives us good time to connect, and is healthy too. That's a great replacement. Traditionally many women in the family skipped the hikes to prepare the foods, but we can reset the food preparation schedules to make space for a hike that everyone can take part in.
What other old ways are no longer positive, and what replacements will make life happier and better for all?
After several holidays where all the unhealthy foods are left, I want to replace those foods with healthy, tasty alternatives. And as for those gifts that no one enjoys, I want to spend that money on shared experiences instead.
To substitute old ways that no longer work, the goal is to find new and better ways to help everyone be the happy, healthy people they want to be. Onward.