I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend! I am just home after 4 days away and I've spent a lot of time thinking… what do I really want this holiday season? What do I need? What do you need?
I spent Thanksgiving with my husband's family at a resort in Florida, and though I am so, so grateful, and of course had a wonderful time, I also felt sad and withdrawn.
Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday. I love everything about it! I love watching the Macy's parade in my jammies with a mug of hot coffee. I love rubbing a turkey with herb butter, then basting it all day long. I love mashing sweet potatoes with my sister and giving gratitude ALL DAY LONG! I love people laughing and eating and drinking around my table. I mean, I LOVE THANKSGIVING!
But I missed it all this year – and it's my own fault.
While part of me wanted to be mad at Josh or his family, the truth is that I needed to be clear about what I needed and state it with love.
Here's what it would have sounded like, “Honey, I love you and I love your family, but I feel alive when I make Thanksgiving dinner and really celebrate the holiday. I need that. How can we make this work?”
When your needs are met, you feel ALIVE and you more joyfully give to others. When your needs are not met, you resent, withdraw, become bitter, and exhaust yourself.
Which decisions are you making this holiday because you “should” or because you rushed into saying “yes” before thinking about it?
Slow it down, pause, and ask yourself what YOU need… Because giving yourself what you need lights up your soul! And when your soul is lit up, you're unstoppable!
Had I paused and approached the holiday on purpose, we may have still gone away (it is my husband's family, after all!), but we would have have done so with intention. Perhaps I might have sent a gratitude package to my sister, gone a day later, organized a little party in our room, or hosted a separate Thanksgiving last week for friends.
What lights your soul? What do you need? What intention will you set? How can you do this holiday season with purpose?
As you close this email, ask yourself this:
What lights me up this time of year?
What do I need to feel happy this holiday?
What do I need to do to take care of myself and enjoy?
Based on these answers, now ask yourself:
What is my intention for this new week?
What is my intention for December?
What is my intention for the holidays?
What do I want 2015 to be for me?
Happy holidays my friend!
To your purpose,
xoxo,
Carin
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