 Isn't it true that sometimes we have to hear something a zillion times before it actually sinks in? Sometimes we have to hear it multiple times before it goes from our head to our heart or our gut where we can actually act on it. You've probably heard before and you may have heard it many times before. But if you are feeling any kind of stress around this season that we're heading into this holiday season, then I invite you to take a nice deep breath and join me for a walk in the woods. And I just want to share something that maybe will make your holiday a lot less stressful and more peaceful and enjoyable. Okay? And this is really a reminder of what the season is all about, right? And it doesn't matter what spiritual tradition you come from, there are so many traditions at this time of year that have celebrations and it's not a coincidence. We're moving into the solstice season, right? And this is the time of year where we have that change in the light, right? If you're in the northern hemisphere like I am, we're heading into the winter solstice where at the dark is time of year and then we're anticipating this welcoming back, the return of the sun, the coming back of the light. And at the end of this month of December, the light will start getting more and more every day instead of less and less. It's a humongous spiritual happening, right? Bringing back the light. If you're in the southern hemisphere, then we're going to be celebrating like the time when the light is at its peak where we have the most light, right, in the summer. And so regardless of where you are in the world, we're really putting our attention on the light or at least that's what is meant to happen. And then with all these holiday celebrations, though, in modern times, it's really become a distraction from what we're really meant to focus on, which is this beautiful light and giving thanks and gratitude and thanks for each other, right? So I remember when I was a kid, every holiday my mother would get so stressed out and so there was always this tension around the holiday and I know that she got it from her mother who was even more so, right? And so I remember this one Thanksgiving when I was a young mother and I was putting together Thanksgiving dinner, right? And it was probably about 10 in the morning and I was frantically rushing around the house, right, trying to put the turkey in the oven, trying to figure out how to bake a turkey in a pie at the same time, right, trying to get the place cleaned up and I was just so stressed out and suddenly, I don't know what came over me, but I suddenly stopped right in the middle of the kitchen and it just was like, why am I doing this? Why am I letting myself get so stressed out? And then it suddenly came to me and it's like, well, it's because I watched my mother do this. To me it was part of the holiday routine and I finally was like, wow, well, I don't have to do this. I'm not my mother. There's no reason that I have to get so upset every holiday. This is not what the holiday is about. It's about coming together and sharing good food and enjoying each other's company and having gratitude, right? And so that was a turning point for me to realize that I can actually choose to make the holiday what I wanted to be in a way that holiday was much, much more relaxed. But it was a work in progress. It took several years, but it was funny because over the years, we kept some traditions and then others I just didn't do anymore. And for a long time, I felt guilty about not sending cards and all this stuff. But finally, I kind of realized it's like, well, you know, it is what it is. And there are other ways to keep in contact with people and, you know, other ways to do things. And I think it can be a really good exercise if you feel, if you feel inspired to sit down before any holiday and really feel to your heart what traditions really speak to you, what makes you feel good, what brings you into the real spirit of the season, right? Because traditionally, you know, if you're in the Northern Hemisphere, this is a time of deep stillness and deep introspection. It's like all the activity of the year has happened, the harvest has been brought in and it's time to come to stillness. And this is the time where people would actually come together. This is when they would tell stories and share wisdom, right? This was when the wisdom of the ancestors got passed on to the next generations. And it was a time of, you know, this quiet gratitude and looking within, then focusing on this whole idea of the light coming back is just so magical, right? So think about that. Think about which traditions really bring that back into focus for you. And it may be, you know, certain foods do that or certain ceremonies or, you know, you may enjoy the office parties, right? By all means, do that. You know, if you're a really extroverted person, then that may be a really important part to you, then keep it, right? But if not, if it just makes you feel stressed and upset, skip it, right? And don't worry so much about other people's feelings. I think people anymore understand, you know, that stress is just not a thing that we really want in our lives anymore. I think people are a lot more understanding about that. So, but if you need permission, I'm giving you permission right now, you know, if there's something that that just doesn't serve you anymore, doesn't serve your family, chocolate, who needs it, you don't need to make a zillion Christmas cookies, unless it feels good to you, right? You don't need to send a zillion Christmas cards, even the gifts, right? They can be such a financial strain on a lot of people. And, you know, that I think my family at one point just made a decision, and we agreed that we're not going to do this big huge gift giving anymore. We actually got together and started doing white elephant gifts where you'd wrap up something, right? You know, something around the house, and and bring it and and just have an exchange. It was a lot of fun. We enjoyed it a lot more. So, you know, there's a lot of creative things you can do. But I think the real lesson I think for me is to, first of all, feel into the actual meaning of the season and feel into what's meaningful, retain that, and also just, you know, you can make it what you want to make it, right? So, wherever you are in the world, whatever spiritual tradition you follow, I wish you a huge amount of love and light this holiday season. And remember, you were born to be free.