Holidays…
I think you already know where I am going with this.
But just in case…
Holidays can be a big invitation for shame…if we let them be!
We can feel the need to perform but not receive the acceptance we long for.
This can be everything from the outfit we wear, to the extra fluff we might have accumulated in the past year, to the recipe fail that we hoped would be the glowing presentation at Thanksgiving.
Or shame can arise when we feel awkward for just BEing.
We can struggle with the words to say during dinner conversations and maybe even tap our spouse’s leg in a desperate attempt to keep the focus off of the awkwardness.
Then there is that one person who thinks a party is livened up by roasting everyone at the table, and you feel like the favorite target.
What is it that makes holidays shame-filled for you?
Can I give you a free pass this year?
Not a pass on going to celebrate Thanksgiving, but a pass on the shame at holiday gatherings!
What if we operated under a different paradigm? A paradigm where we did not allow other people’s perception of us to dominate our minds?
A mindset where we did not play the game of comparison and chose to just relish in the moment of being in the presence of others, and more importantly, in the presence of God, Who is with us when we are in what have normally been shame-inducing environments and occasions in the past?
I’m in. How about you?
If you are a mom and have poured out a lot of effort into making an incredible meal and experience, enjoy your efforts but don’t fix your joy or worth on people’s response to your efforts.
Shame off you, friend! Your worth has never been in being the perfect hostess with the mostest!
Check out the Seeing Deep blog this week for a mindset hack and a free song to help you be grateful instead of shameful at thanksgiving.