Hey there, Barb Ling from the DennisAndBarb Coaching goodness and I need to apologize for my inability to schedule my time out... I'm in the process of finishing up the 2024 End of the Year Marketing Gems and time, well...
It got away from me. :(
But
I shall make up for it!
In the meanwhile, 2 things.....
First, I wrote up a holiday post I think you'll find quite enjoyable (will be sharing that) and 2...
I also shared it to Twitter and Bluesky with all of my AI Art goodies to emphasize it. You can see that over at👍
My Bluesky
Account
My Twitter Account
Here is the post in question:
If you're spending the holidays alone, chances are....
... there's a weeee bit 'o chance that you're
not looking forward to it whatsoever.
The reasons for this can be many and varied! Perhaps your parents are just a weee bit toxic. Maybe your kids totally embraced the notion that unless you Think and Believe EXACTLY like them, it is too *hurtful* for them to be around you.
It could be that this year is the first holiday to imitate Godzilla
when someone stole his Snickers Bar and the emotional typhoon unleased utter drowns any sense OR sensibility that you might have retained. Or you just sufffered a devastating loss... and simply have zero clue how to move forward.
Now there are ways to address each and every soul-searing reason why you might be alone during the holiday. But here's the thing...
Whatever smooshed you up in the past does NOT mean you *HAVE* to be miserable the entire time (unless you give yourself permission for a pity party. That's a great way to get out negative emotions and I've done them myself - pick up your fav foods or activities and imagine you're taking every single one of your miserable sad thoughts, packing them into a glorious designer suitcase, and then chucking said suitcase into the face of whomever makes you sad... afterwards skipping merrily off
into the sunset, laughing hysterically. Try it, it works).
So, if you have to face the Winter Holidays alone, consider doing the following.
1.) Lift the spirit of others. Post happy memes for your friends - when you make others happy, that happiness has a habit of creeping up on you as well.
2.) Visit hospitals, shelters, etc. and give random gifts to the people there. Dollar stores have great deals (heck, most stores this day do) and you can either wrap them or just give them in a brown paper bag. It's not the presentation that matters, it's the spirit behind it.
3.) If you have a pet, lavish extra treats and watch movies with him/her.
4.) Buy yourself something you've always wanted but never gave yourself permission to own.
5.) Write a letter to yourself. Spill out all the reasons why you're alone this week, what led up to it, why it's so unfair, and how you want 2025 to be.
In other
words....
... Treat yourself like the magnificent person you are. You do NOT *need* others to validate your existence...
... you are perfectly incredible *just* as you are. Give *yourself* permission to *validate you*.
Let go of all the negatives that have happened this year and last year and
the year before that.... all the way up to several decades/centuries if required....
... and honor *yourself*.
You deserve that today and tomorrow and *always*.
And before I close this particular missive, on the off-chance you DO have to endure the kind of family that makes the Chaos Beast weep
tears of joy, consider:
https://www.reddit.com/r/raisedbynarcissists/comments/1gy2e1w/to_people_spending_christmas_and_new_years_eve/
https://www.upworthy.com/holidays-with-toxic-family
https://www.reddit.com/r/AITAH/comments/1hhoyyw/aita_for_not_wanting_to_spend_christmas_with_my/
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cope-toxic-parent-christmas-123000435.html
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/plan-now-to-avoid-holiday-stress-on-your-marriage/
https://www.reddit.com/r/toddlers/comments/1bucsq0/why_is_everyone_backing_down_on_their_morals_and/
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/husband-family-voted-trump-im-132507732.html
Your takeaway?
Honor *you*.
That is all. Well okay, that's NOT all if you HAVE to deal with family times that make scrubbing out the Super Bowl toilets with a toothbrush
seem like a delightfuly novel adventure, but still.
Remember the goodness *you* bring to the table.
And be kind. 106% of the people you meet are most likely going thru times you could not even begin to comprehend, and that's okay. You don't *have* to understand them, but showing kindness no matter what?
That's a very good thing indeed.
Enjoy!
I'd love to know what you think!
And the other thingee... hmmmm.... ah yes!
Alessandro just released his annual Christmas Deals... 12 excellent products at less than 1.50 each? And it's massively coolios indeed... lookie!
Product 1 - GPTs Empire
Product 2 - Copywriting Empire
Product 3 - Kawaii Coloring Books Empire
Product 4 - Robot Prompts Empire
Product 5 - Cartoon Animal Prompts
Product 6 - Rewire Your Mind (NEW!)
Product 7 - Tattoo Coloring Books Empire
Product 8 - Fiction Empire
Product 9 - PDF Cash Empire
Product 10 - Public Domain Empire 7
Product 11 - Challenges Empire 2
Product
12 - BookTok Empire (NEW!)
Sounds incredible? Well then...