Beware Shiny Object Syndrome

The Christmas Season is magical. Filled with lights, decorations, and cheer, it has rightly been called “the most wonderful time of the year.” Even atheists love to celebrate our Christmas, and Muslims are jealous they don’t have something similar. Dennis Prager, a devout Jew, defends the holiday mightily despite his disbelief in its source. And how could they not love Christmas? After all, it’s filled with shiny objects.

Thus “shiny object syndrome” or the syndrome of the easily distracted, is easy to fall prey to during the Christmas season.

I liken shiny object syndrome to a cat eating his breakfast when suddenly a red dot from a laser pointer appears! That cat abandons his food to chase the red dot. Minutes later, he abandons the red dot to look at birds outside, and a minute after that, he is drooling over his human’s breakfast. In short, that cat is easily distracted by the shiny objects in his life, and he moves quickly from one to the other without accomplishing anything.

We live in a noisy, materialistic society, a society filled with beauty and opportunities sadly detached from greater meaning. Inflation has also driven many Americans to a busier lifestyle via the necessity of a second or even third job. With all of this distraction, it’s easy to forget our greater mission on this earth; in the holiday season, it’s easier to forget Christmas’ greater meaning.

Couple this with the never-ending cultural assaults on Christmas, and we have virulent recipe for “shiny object syndrome.”

So, this year, try to enjoy the shiny objects without getting too distracted. Find time to contemplate and consider, and while you should enjoy the shiny objects, don’t let them lure you away from the deeper beauty of Christmas – and your deeper mission.