Comparison and How It "Should Be" Steals Our Joy.

This is a hard one but can really alter our lives and increase our joy and ability to actually be present. Often times in any given moment we are comparing and evaluating the moment rather then actually being in it. We think well this is how this moment should look, feel like or how it needs to be.

I'm sure we've all been apart of holiday moments where we are trying so hard to have a moment that none of us are actually present in the moment.

I completely understand the ideas of trying our best, creating meaningful traditions and memories and there is grace for these moments of good intentions. I'm mainly addressing the letting go of expectations or possible judgements we may even be placing on our own hearts and what we feel or need.

This holiday if you're going through a transition, loss, or change allow for your heart to be where it is. Sometimes the idea of the holidays and how we think we "should be/ feel" doesn't line up with how our heart needs to work today. If you're grieving it's okay to keep grieving, if your family is complicated and doesn't look like the holiday movies it's okay to allow yourself to find joy in making plans that make sense to you.  If you're alone this holiday allow yourself to enjoy holiday traditions if that feels good to you, or take a trip, or make your own new traditions that feel meaningful and allow yourself to see this as not better or worse just different.

Stop the war you may be having with your heart and allow the holidays as is every day to be about grace and peace. Start with your own heart first. Let go of the "shoulds" and feel what you need to feel to be where you are with peace, acceptance and kindness for that heart of yours.