§ We came to this world to LIVE OUT LOUD!
6 Steps to Thirive This Holiday season
I haven’t seen her since early August and I won’t see her until late May.
Nearly ten months.
When I agreed to let her go to boarding school in Armenian for her last two years of high school, I never imagined that would mean that I would go so long without seeing her.
But then again, thanks to COVID, many of us are living in a world that’s very different from anything we had imagined.
This time last year, what were you expecting life to be like in 2020? I bet, nothing like it actually has been.
As the holidays approach and cold weather descends upon most of the Northern hemisphere, many of us are feeling sad, down, anxious… blah.
I say we’re feeling grief.
Grief over the loss of life as we knew it.
Grief over the loss of a loved one or our health (if we were directly touched by COVID).
Grief over jobs or economic opportunities lost.
Grief over not being able to see people we want to see.
Grief over not being able to do what we want to do.
This is especially true in the holiday season when many of us aren’t able to get together with our loved ones and aren’t able to do the holiday rituals that symbolize love, comfort and nurturing to us.
I’m grieving…. This is the first time since my oldest daughter was born that we haven’t spent the holidays together (and usually in some exotic location to add to our good fortune!)
At the same time, I’m also aware that I’m extremely fortunate and privileged.
I and my loved ones are healthy
I’m able to spend the holidays with my husband, two of our three daughters and with some close friends
My oldest daughter has the enormous luck and opportunity to spend this year attending school in person and living with over two-hundred kids her age
We have the means to travel around Colombia, the beautiful country we have been living in for the past nine years. It’s gorgeous, green and the weather is enviable!
I remember a therapist once told me that being able to be with two or more contradictory emotions at the same time is a sign of mental health.
I think that’s the way to thrive during this holiday season. To be with the reality of what is and to also make the best of it.
Here’s how you can thrive this holiday season:
1. Acknowledge your feelings
What are you feeling as the holidays approach? Happy? Excited? Hopeful? Sad? Regretful? Anxious? Angry? Grief?
It’s so important to allow yourself to feel your feelings. To acknowledge them as worthy.
2. Be with your feelings (but don’t drown in them)
Once you acknowledge your feelings, allow yourself to be with them fully. You can talk about them, journal about them, do a creative project to express them or just sit in silence with them, imagining you’re holding your feelings tenderly in your arms as you would an infant.
I personally like to give myself twenty minutes to be with my feelings fully. I find that once they’re felt, they’re ready to be transformed.
3. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude
Being in a state of gratitude is the key for thriving in this holiday season (and in life!) No matter what’s going on in your life, there’s always something you can be grateful for. Focusing on what you’re grateful for in your life will uplift your mood and energetic vibration and will bring to you even more of what you’re grateful for.
What can you be grateful for in this holiday season? Make a list, write it down, remind yourself daily, hourly, as often as you need.
4. Look for the gifts
I firmly believe that there are gifts available to us in all circumstances, especially in challenging ones. There are always opportunities for growth and even possibilities for joy, especially if we’re willing to get creative.
For instance, my family and I normally travel for the holidays, either for adventure or to see family in the United States. This year, we decided that it was safest to stay in Colombia and we are using this time to get to know the beautiful country we live in. What a gift!
5. Connect with loved ones however you can
I know that many of us find Zoom to be a poor substitute for seeing our loved ones in person, hugging them, having them close. And yet, what a gift to be able to see friends and family as we talk to them! Can you imagine surviving this pandemic without Zoom?
So, make sure you schedule plenty of chats over coffee, tea, lunch, dinner during this holiday season. Everybody can still get dressed up (if you’re so inclined), set the table nicely and have a holiday meal over Zoom.
6. Create new rituals to nourish your soul
There’s nothing like challenging and unprecedented times to push us to connect to our creativity. What new rituals can you create this holiday season?
What about you? Any tips on how we can thrive this holiday season?
Happy Tuesday!
Natalie
P.S. What if 2021 could be the best year of your life?
You’ve wanted to live a passionate life for years. You’ve wanted to find your purpose. You’ve wanted to create an extraordinary life.
Yet you’ve watched the years go by with nothing really changing.
To help you do that and as a thank you for being in my tribe, I want to give you a special gift – an invitation to my absolutely FREE Masterclass: Live Your Passion & Purpose (regardless of circumstances) in 2021!
Thursday, December 10th at 8:30 pm Eastern time (NYC)
OR
Friday, December 11th at 1:30 pm Eastern time (NYC)
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Let’s make this the year that you start creating your extraordinary life!
