This jolly time of year can only really be jolly with a few important factors involved. Though some of them may be challenging to implicate at first, really take your time to set yourself up the same way you'd set the table for a holiday feast. Read to the very last one for my current intention for the season that was discovered during a sacred cacao ceremony with my family. Let's dive in:
1. Prioritize.
Work, family, giving back, self-care, relationships, cooking, cleaning, shopping, traveling - holy wow. This time of year asks a lot of us, and it's simply not possible to prioritize everything. To avoid that weepy kind of overwhelm, write down all the things you want to accomplish during this time and then rank them of importance. Keep that list readily available in your phone so when you're stuck making a decision on where to spend your limited time, you get to choose and remember what really matters to you.
2. Set boundaries.
Listing all the hot buttons out there right now would take a whole blog in and of itself, not to mention, this is a time where old family patterns, triggers and seasonal anxiety creeps up. It's important to make sure you first know what's too much or not comfortable for you right now, and then communicate those things. Take a few moments now to check in. What triggers do you anticipate could come up? What do you need instead? What's a one-liner you could use in the face of it or to get ahead of it? Try something like, "To feel comfortable, I'll need ____." Or, "I'd appreciate it if we refrain from this topic." Or "I can only stay for x amount of time."
3. Manage your own expectations.
Make sure you're being realistic about what you expect of yourself and others during this time of year. Is Uncle Benny still a jerk? Boundaries can play here, but just because you've done the self-work doesn't mean everyone else has or understands. Also, are you expecting yourself to be able to do it all and with pure grace? Be real with you. No one and nothing is perfect, but there is so much goodness to be experienced once we allow ourselves to get real.
4. Be open-hearted.
The profoundness of this word is in the definition:
1. showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
2. freely communicative; candidly straightforward
With open-heartedness there is this unique, beautiful honesty and clarity paired with a deep, open kindness. No getting walked over here. This is both radiating and acting with compassion for self and others. This is making choices out of love and truth.
