Finding Light When the Holidays Feel Heavy

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As joyful as the season is meant to be, the holidays can quietly carry a lot of weight — expectations, pressure, comparison, and the sense that we’re somehow supposed to feel more festive than we do.

In this episode, I share an excerpt from my book The Places Where There Are Spaces, a short reflection called “Holiday Hangovers.” It’s a story about noticing how easily we slip into expectation, how quickly joy can turn into self-pressure, and how gently everything can shift when we pause long enough to return to ourselves.

Through a moment of honesty, a little humor, and a reminder about the quiet power of presence, this episode invites you to soften your grip on “how it’s supposed to be” and reconnect with what’s already here.

✨ You don’t need to do more to be worthy of joy.
 ✨ You don’t need to perform the season perfectly.
 ✨ The light you’re looking for already lives within you.

At the end, I offer a simple reflection you can return to anytime this season — a small doorway back to gratitude, ease, and self-compassion.

If this resonates, you can find The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating a Life of Creative Possibilities wherever books are sold.

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