The holidays are an emotionally charged time of year, right?

You're excited and basking in the ooey gooey warmth of the holidays. Christmas movies are on rotation, Sirius is playing holiday music, you're spending way too much money on holiday decorations when you visit Target, Hobby Lobby and/or Home Depot. Or is that just me? ;)

But you know...sometimes the holidays have you feeling a bit like Charlie Brown. Kind of down, but you're not quite sure why. Or maybe you DO know why.

I have coined 2023 as my "Year of The Leather Pants," a la Ross from FRIENDS. I thought this year was going to be great, just like he thought leather pants on a date were going to be a good idea. But this year has turned into a hot, sweaty mess. I've tried praying and crossing my fingers and putting good vibes out into the world, but so far, the only thing I've gotten from that is a paste that, like Ross, has prevented me from pulling my life together in the way I'd hoped (or in his case, just being able to pull his pants up would have been a win).

It's hard to be thankful when you feel like life isn't going your way. But when I whipped out my magnifying glass to look a little bit closer, I found micro-moments that made me realize there are things I can, and should be, appreciative of.

Something I also found...is that by doing something nice and thoughtful for myself, I'm actually showing MYSELF appreciation. All that I've been through this past year, and pretty much my entire life, and I haven't given up. I'm still here. I may not always be standing, but I'm still here, and that's worth acknowledging and celebrating.

And when I do good for ME, it shifts my mindset, and I'm able to see things differently. I find that there is more to be thankful for than I realized, or maybe even just wanted to admit because I was feeling down and Grinchy.

So if you're struggling this year, know you're not alone. Imagine me grabbing your hand and giving you a hug, telling you "I know how this feels."

Go do something nice for yourself, just because. And see how that shifts things for you.

And before I go...thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for tuning in episode after episode. I wouldn't be 130 episodes in if it weren't for you and others like you listening, sharing your thoughts and hearts with me, and letting me know that I'm not alone.

Your encouragement and support means so much to me. And I hope in some way, I'm able to do the same for you.

Happy Thanksgiving, Friend. (Oh...and if you make a trifle, don't follow Rachel's recipe)

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OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!