Home For The Holidays
Greetings Loved Ones,
Holiday szn is in full swing and often that is synonymous with emotional upheavals. I say that with gratitude, because family and friends give us the space to be vulnerable and open up. They are our mirrors, our comrades. When I’m home, I kind of revert back to myself as a teenager subconsciously. There’s something about being in the living room where I always did my homework…the kitchen where I’d have a quick breakfast before school…the bedroom where so many sleepovers were held…where so many heartbreaks were healed…something about the energy in the walls that resurfaces old emotions and memories. Some pleasant, some not.
For the past three or four years, my personal/inner work has been around releasing old patterns and making peace with the past…especially with my mom and how much she has changed. A lot of the work surrounds accepting this ‘new version’ of her, and realizing that I am my own human being. I am not destined to become just like her or just like my dad, no matter how similar we are. Essentially, the work is to break away from generational issues, and that work is put to the test every time I go home. Journaling has really helped me track how I’ve been able to grow and open up my heart more and more each year - highly recommend.
To break it down, here are a few things I took away from Thanksgiving week with some of my favorite people:
Vulnerability is so attractive. It’s brave! When we open up in an honest way, we actually exude confidence. I wish more men understood this <3
It’s usually best to just listen...not try to ‘fix’ when someone opens up to us. Even if we get triggered by their issues, they usually just need a hug and a buddy.
Suffering often comes from not feeling safe. Rebuilding trust with your environment, and humans in general, is key.
Curate awareness about your belief systems. Our beliefs can have us saying “I’m right and they are wrong” point blank, which causes tension and creates a wall. Instead of being ‘right’, let’s be curious.
Don’t take the people close to you for granted. Tell them you love and appreciate them all the time.
Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.
No matter what you are going through, you are not alone. Pain, in any shape or form, often makes us feel isolated. Know that there are soooo many of us out here who can relate to what you are going through. Every single one of us has some crazy story from the past that we are trying to heal from. I haven’t met a single person who isn’t.
++ Stream 🎙The Lifted Podcast to deepen your healing journey!
