Finding Joy During the Holidays

With the holidays around the corner, for some it’s a season of glitter and gold, while others might find themselves feeling lonely or stressed out with all the hustle and bustle. It may be a time that highlights feelings of lack, overwhelm or sadness. 

We become so preoccupied with what comes next, and trying to make everything perfect, that we may totally miss the small, simple pleasures of daily life itself, and see only sacrifice, hard work, anxiety and suffering. Or, we focus on what appears to be lacking or is never quite enough, rather than acknowledging what we do have to be grateful for. We get disappointed, depressed and feel hopeless. 

Yet, we can’t fully know joy without knowing sadness.

I know for myself, this time of year has often brought with it feelings of dejection and yearning; be it from unmet expectations, family disappointments, the loss of a loved one or like I am not enough, all of which can be hard to overcome. When we have expectations of others, we set ourselves up for an emotional rollercoaster; however, we have complete freedom to change. 

And so, if you choose to gather with family and friends, you can have a more joyful experience by practicing compassion and releasing any expectations you may have of them. After all, some of the best memories are created when things didn’t quite go to plan!