As we go into the Holiday season, be kind & compassionate with yourself.
Holidays are hard. We’re bombarded with messages of joy & gratitude everywhere, and we often feel compelled to feel grateful, when what we really feel is tired, stressed, and anxious. It’s not so easy to simply “choose happiness,” or “choose gratitude,” or “choose joy,” or even “choose optimism” as I discussed in my
last column. It takes a lot of work, and a lot of practice to arrive at a place where happiness and faith are our default states of being.
It is true that we all have many things in our life for which to be grateful. However, when we’re going through difficulty it’s easy to zero in on only what’s wrong, and write traumatic endings to our stories. These apocalyptic endings that we fabricate can cause us to feel scared & isolated. We lose perspective of what I call the totality of our life. No single circumstance or event, no matter how large or small, ever defines us. No single decision ever defines us. Every circumstance is one step in a larger journey.
So often our actions & decisions lead us to places we did not anticipate. This doesn’t mean they are “wrong” or “bad.” It simply means they are different than what we envisioned. This is where Faith comes in, and the importance of tapping into our ability to choose Faith over Fear. To surrender to what is, rather than fighting it, and to believe that all will be OK.
Perhaps starting with baby steps is the best approach. So, just for today, as we go into the Holiday season, I ask you to be kind to yourself. Feel as much gratitude as you can. Be as present as you can. Remember that all is impermanent… the good and the bad. Every moment of every day, we are growing, changing, and evolving.
The most wonderful thing in your life is YOU. You are a gift to this world in ways you may not be able to appreciate. You are loved by so many. Along your journey, you have made a profound impact in the lives of those you know, and of those you don’t know.
Be in gratitude to yourself this Thanksgiving season. This will have a domino effect, and enable you to be thankful for those
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected].
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
As we go into the Holiday season, be kind & compassionate with yourself.
