The Holiday Drill Sergeant
I spent years trying to engineer the "perfect" holiday memory. I usually ended up ruining the actual moment.
I remember standing in the living room one year, sweating in a wool sweater that scratched like crazy. We were trying to take the "perfect" family Christmas card photo.
The baby was crying, the dog was chewing the wrapping paper, and my wife was stressed out of her mind. And there I was, barking orders like a drill sergeant. "Just sit still! Smile! Look happy!"
I was so focused on capturing the image of a happy family that I was making my actual family miserable. I wasn't present; I was performing. And the tension in the room was thick enough to choke on.
I realized that day that I was trading connection for perfection. A perfect photo of a miserable family isn't a win. It’s a lie.
The "good enough" holiday isn't about being lazy. It's about choosing presence over performance. My kids won't remember if the gingerbread house looked like a masterpiece or a disaster. They will remember if Dad was laughing with them or yelling at them about the frosting.
We are here to be memory-makers, not stage directors. The men in this brotherhood know that the real magic happens in the messy, unplanned moments.
- Where are you suffocating the joy in your home by demanding perfection right now?
2. What is one thing you can let be "messy" this week so you can actually enjoy your family?
Your action today: Pick one "perfect" expectation you have for this month (the card, the meal, the decorations). Intentionally lower the bar. Choose to laugh at the chaos instead of fixing it.
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The Holiday Drill Sergeant
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Society's lie is comfort. A life of purpose requires courage. Here, our brotherhood provides the accountability and fire needed to forge your path.
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