Q: Maybe you've been thinking about running for office for some time, or maybe your friends, family, coworkers or teachers have suggested that you'd be great as a leader. Before you decide to commit to running a campaign, you should spend some careful time reflecting upon desire to run for office. Ask yourself the following questions: Why do you want this? Do you want the recognition and the prestige that will come with being elected, or do you want to represent and serve a particular group of people? Why? If you decide to run, you'll be asked to articulate your reasons for wanting the position, so you need to be clear on them yourself from the get-go. Why do you think that you'd be the best person for the job? What are your personal strengths? For example, are you passionate and knowledgeable about the related issues? Are you energetic or are you able to connect well with other people? You want to be able to explain what sets you apart from the other candidates and be able to explain how you'll be capable of serving well. What do you struggle with? For example, do you find it hard to manage competing projects? Will this be a hindrance to your ability to run a campaign or to perform the responsibilities of the position? Just as you ought to be aware of your strengths, you'll need to be aware of your weaknesses, so that you can compensate for them or correct them completely. Do you have the time and energy to both campaign and to eventually do the job, if you are elected? You'll also need to be certain that you can devote yourself completely to the tasks of running and (hopefully) serving, and you'll need to be able to convince your team and your constituents that you are up for the challenge. Before deciding to campaign, you should start by self-reflecting, but we're not always the most objective judges of our own characters and abilities. Ask to sit down with a trusted friend or mentor, and explain to them that you are thinking about running for office. Ask them to outline what they take to be your strengths and weaknesses, and then listen carefully and non-defensively as they answer. Before you decide to run, you need to sort out the details and, as best you can, realistically outline the course of events that await you. Think about the following: How long will the campaign run? On average, how many hours a day or week will you need to commit to campaigning? What are your other responsibilities, and how much time must you devote to them? Be certain that you will be able to balance all of this while retaining your health and your sanity. You may want to run in order to gain experience or make connections that can help you in your career. These are worth-while goals, but keep in mind that if your heart isn't behind your cause, your voters may be able to see through this. You'll also need to maintain the drive to actually do the job should you win, in which case working for something you care about will help you persist.
A: Reflect upon your motivations. Identify your strengths. Identify your weaknesses. Decide if you're up for the task. Ask those you trust for a character assessment. Prepare for the long-haul. Choose a cause about which you're passionate.

Q: For you, the spirit of the season is about holiday parties at the office, finding a parking space at the mall, hustling and bustling to get the best deals, exchanging gifts with friends and loved ones, and best of all: the look of delight on your loved one's faces as they open the gift that's exactly what they wantedeven though they never said a word about it! Maybe you've lost the spirit of Christmas, many others have, too. The over-commercialization of the holiday has sapped the pleasure from what should be a joyous time. It doesn't have to be that way. Whatever your reason for the season, nothing can kill the holiday spirit quicker than being crushed against the front of a store by gun-wielding mobs of bargain-crazed shoppers. Shop at the stores of local producers. Most of the things you can find in malls and big box stores are mass-produced, cheaply-produced junk anyway. Giving junk as gifts is almost as soul-sapping as being in shopping mob. There are many gifts that fall outside the world of Christmas: handmade jewelry; artisan meats, breads, and cheeses; charitable gifts that donate money to a cause, given in the recipient's name; even gifts of things that you make well yourself, whether that's a hand-knit sweater, a work of art, a delicious dinner, or more. Simply ask yourself what you do well, and offer a bit of that as a gift. Now, imagine your best Christmas ever. It might have been when Santa got you that bike as a kid, or maybe that Christmas Eve that he proposed to you. Ask yourself: why was that special, and what did it feel like? If it was simply that sense of wonder and how it felt like everybody was "nicer" somehow, then actively seek where that is happening. If it's the look of delight on children's faces, go find the best Santa in town, and soak in the total belief in a magic elf who delivers presents to children all over the world. Keep a smile on your face, and walk with your head up, making eye contact as much as you can. Greet everybodyyoung and old, even people you might instinctively dislikewith a hearty "Merry Christmas." You may not even believe it yourself at first, but give it some time and effort. It doesn't matter if you have a house full of kids, or are just on your own. Enjoy the trappings of the season in any way you can. If you have the space, head to the hills and harvest a tree. If that's not possible in your area, head to the local parking lot stuffed with trees. Either way, get one a couple weeks before Christmas, turn on the Christmas music, put up the tree, and decorate it. Your home will smell like Christmas, and it's hard to be unmoved by that! Add a wreath to your front door, so that every time you come home that's the first thing you'll see. It may be in the form of Christmas cards, or through the telephone or the Internet, if they're not nearby. If you Skype or do a Google Hangout with video, set it up if you can so that your Christmas tree is in the background, all lit up. "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings!" Whether your tastes run towards the traditional Miracle on 34th Street, the classics like A Christmas Carol by Dickens (or it's modern comedic take with Scrooged), stop-motion animations like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Nightmare Before Christmas, or cult classics like A Christmas Story, holiday television is filled with nostalgia, humor, morality plays, and lots of simple, fun entertainment. It's the season of candy canes, eggnog, pumpkin pies, mulled drinks, and roasted foods. Whether you do it yourself, or pick up some yummies at the grocery store, the aromas from the kitchen combine with the aromas of the evergreens that can transport you back in time to that best Christmas ever! Even if the kitchen is anathema to you, try itmake a batch of your favorite cookies, for you and your family. Snickerdoodles, peanut butter cookies, or just plain old sugar cookies are all good. And if you have kids, help them decorate those tasty morsels. If you dread the holidays because of all the work that has to be donecooking, cleaning, wrapping, cleaning, more cooking, more cleaning, shopping, more cleaning...stop! Share the load. If you have a spouse, make a plan. If you do the cooking, your spouse does the cleaning. If you do the shopping, they do the wrapping. Most Christmas chores are like that, so take advantage of your spousal unit to lessen the load. If you have kids, they can do the cleaningand you have the perfect leverage. Just start whistling, Oh, you better not pout, you better not cry, you better watch out, I'm telling you why...Santa Clause is coming to town!
A:
Put gas in your SUV, or whatever it is you use to collect and deliver your gifts. Avoid the crazy crowds. Close your eyes (after you read this step). Decorate your house. Reach out to friends and loved ones. Enjoy Christmas television. Eat seasonal foods. Divide and conquer.