Rediscovering Your Joyfulness
by Madisyn Taylor
The holidays can trigger the blues for a lot
of people. We all have associations with the music, the decorations, and the
foods that are so pervasive at this time of year. We may look back on a happy
childhood and feel that our present situation doesn’t measure up. On the other
hand, we may be reminded of what we wanted but didn’t get as children. Either
way, our real lives are unfolding in the here and now. This is a new holiday
season altogether, and we can find joy in the fact that we can make it our own
and let it be new.
One key way to reinvigorate your holiday is to let go
of feeling obligated to engage in rituals or situations that make you feel
unhappy. It is easy to get lost in the trance of tradition and lose track of who
you really are and what serves you as you are now. But there is a wonderful
payoff if you take the time to touch base with what you really want and give it
to yourself. When you take care of yourself, your capacity to give to others
expands exponentially, and so does your innate joyfulness.
The first
step is taking time to sort through any baggage that’s nagging you. If sad
memories present themselves, know that you are not alone. It is well-documented
that many people suffer from depression at this time of year. The key is to face
these feelings, hear them out, and fully process them so that you can be free
again. Try giving yourself the space and time to consider what will be truly
healing for you this year. Perhaps you’d rather go on vacation to a tropical
island with friends than go back home to a dysfunctional family. Maybe you’d
prefer not to exchange gifts. Maybe you want to change-up the traditional dinner
fare and make something profoundly healthy or exotic. As you infuse this holiday
with new energy, you will feel your blues lightening and your joyfulness
steadily on the rise. Try to make this holiday season about who you are now, not
what you were in the past. Enjoy.
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