Holiday season rings in memories of warm fires, snow, holiday treats and a season for love and joy.

However, for so many the Holiday season also means parties, get togethers and in town family or guests. We want to fill those times with love and create joyous memories. However, sometimes the Holidays bring up fear or emotions that can be escalated by family.

So many times I know I would over react to something very small or something that wasn’t meant at all how I took it. This was especially true when the entire family came together. Due to my own mind creating situations that didn’t exist, I would feel judged by family. The truth was that no matter what siblings or family felt or thought it was really my choice to allow it to bother me or to decide I loved myself and was confident in what a great person I was.

Learning the tools to create the mindset that led me to the best feeling situations, thoughts and emotions was the moment of change in my Holiday experience. I went from some anxiety and feeling of judgment, and even some ideas of feeling less than my siblings to being joyous. I believed that my family looked at me as not being as good, not doing as much, and not being as successful as my amazing family I was blessed with. I learned the Mindset tools and for the first time used this as the Holiday Mindset that I want to share with you. These tools took me to a place of love for myself, joy for the person I was, and thankfulness for the experiences that molded my path to lead me to where I am. I was aware that every experience and choice (good and not so good) is what I needed to build the me I am today. For the first time I felt I didn’t need to feel bad, regret, or apologize for any of my growing spaces in my life. I found it was okay to love myself and be confident in what I was good at. For years I had it my mind that self appreciation and self care was “selfish” and “big headed” and “conceited.” Realizing that is not at all the truth of finding your own peace and inner voice. I felt empowered, stronger and even more aware of my insecurities and that little voice that was not my voice but one in my head that so many times piped right in to bring me down. Being aware brought the light to the minute that little voice started to chime in and for the first time in my life I could put a halt to that voice.

I spent my first holiday aware of what I felt, staying aligned to me, which meant always staying a space that felt good to me. YES, TO ME. Wow, it was such a simple idea but one of the greatest life changing instances in my life. I could feel when I started to get offended, think of things as perhaps they were not meant to be taken and stay in my joy.

I want to share these tools and experiences with you. I hope these tools helps you find more joy, the tools to stay in joy and love. If it can shift your holiday experience or just make you feel a little happier I hope this 25 days of Holiday Mindset are helpful for you. I will share one tool or thought of the Holiday Mindset each day up until Christmas Day.

Please enjoy.

Kristin DeLibero