#FindJoy

How is it already the weekend before Thanksgiving?  The last two months have been a whirlwind of travel, so it’s only natural that I’m feeling like this has crept up on me a bit.  Don’t get me wrong, this is my favorite time of year.  Thanksgiving is the kick off for the holiday season. The weeks that follow are always full of love, happiness and giving.  For the most part people are more patient, more kind and more giving during this time of year.  You take the time to show the people in your life how much they mean to you.  You take time out to help those in need by donating your time and/or your money.  And yet for all the goodness that happens during this time, there is another emotion creeps in…..stress!

If you think about it, it’s kind of an odd phenomena.  We are surrounded with gratitude, love and appreciation and yet we can’t just let that be it.  We allow stress and worry to creep in.  The stress that creeps in can be around a relationship with a family member – what are they going to do or say that will make our family celebration uncomfortable?  The stress can be around the food – who is (or is not) bringing food?  Or what if the food does not turn out perfectly and doesn’t taste good, what will people think?  Or am I going to eat too much and gain weight?  You can probably think of other things and situations that add stress to the holidays – another big one may be how will my child act and what will my family say about it?  The list could go on and on, but the real question is – what are you going to do about it?  Are you going to allow the stress to negatively impact you and your mood?  Or are you going to choose differently?

In her book The Universe Has Your Back, Gabrielle Bernstein says “Joy is a choice you make.”  I couldn’t agree more, but during the holidays it’s harder to remember you have this choice (especially when you are at the mall surrounded by irritated shoppers). Last year I challenged my readers to decrease their holiday stress by looking for reminders of joy in everyday life.  It was so much fun to see the pictures people posted where they found the word joy in unexpected places.  The most surprising was on the side of a water tower!  This year I’m challenging all of you again – keep your eye out for joy this holiday season.  It could be the word “joy” or if you see something that makes you joyful, snap a picture of that too.  Post your pictures on Facebook or Instagram with #FindJoy or #joychallenge.  Let’s fill our social media pages over these next few weeks with images so we can remind ourselves, and each other, of the joy and love that surrounds us every day.  

Joy-FULLy Yours,    
Kacey
 
The holidays are coming – are you ready for the craziness that comes along with it?  Let’s set up time to talk!  Direct message or email me at balancedheartcoaching.com and we’ll set up time this week to get you ready for whatever might come your way.

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