For many people, the Christmas holiday season is stressful and negative. It brings up all the old business, whether personal or with family.

I can never get into the "Christmas Spirit" until a few days before the event. It's more hassle than happy up to that point. But I generally succeed; and I try to take things on my own terms whenever possible, and let the rest slide like water off a duck. Overall, it was a successful season for me; lots of positives, few negatives. It's not always that way, but you take 'em when you can get 'em.

Another way to look at all the Christmas stuff and people that drive you nuts: this is enforced survival training. It's the plane-crash-with-total-strangers scenario. As a species, we are social because we need others for our long-term survival. So, how do you enhance your skill set in this situation? How do you shape your behaviour to achieve a worthwhile objective? How do you shape your behaviour to shape other people's behaviour in positive ways? If your brain is engaged and you apply mental discipline to an honourable objective, you can learn much about yourself; and find bridges and heal wounds with others.

My $0.02.