Happy Thanksgiving to You and Your Family!
Here in the U.S., we have a holiday dedicated to celebrating family, friends, and loved ones. It’s called Thanksgiving Day. For me, it has become one of my favorite holidays because I’m blessed to celebrate with my husband, two adult sons, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and two amazing grandsons—one even home from his first year of college!
What we all have in common, deep inside, is a longing to feel connected with family on a meaningful level.
Unconditional Love: The Ultimate Goal
Reaching a level of unconditional love is a powerful goal. It means embracing the flow of life without apprehension, fear, or expectations. When we allow others to feel, express, and hold their perspectives without letting it trigger us, we can experience something magical: pure joy.
And let me tell you, joy is worth pursuing—it’s calorie-free, doesn’t require a prescription, and there’s no line for it on Black Friday.
Gratitude Every Day
For me, every day is an opportunity to find things to be thankful for. What you seek, you will find! I’m deeply grateful for the connection I have with you, Talha. The messages about how much my newsletters bring benefit to my readers brings me joy, and I’m thrilled to share my experiences with you.
Speaking of joy, I recently heard the word “Soul” beautifully defined as Source of Unconditional Love. Isn’t that just perfect?
Thanksgiving Expectations (and Those “Sideways Compliments”)
Let’s face it, family gatherings can be a mixed bag. You might already be bracing for those “sideways compliments”—you know, like, “Oh, a new hairdo! You’re looking good this year!” (Gee, thanks. I’ll try to look good next year too!)
Family relationships are complicated. And deep down, weall love our family. But if you're feeling apprehensive, tempted to cancel altogether, or searching for excuses to avoid the gathering, here's a quick exercise to help shift your perspective.
A Healing Visualization: Mud Therapy
This exercise is simple, effective, and doesn’t require therapy bills—or a real plastic doll.
- Get Comfortable and Visualize: Imagine a large inflatable plastic doll. It can be 6 feet tall and any color you like. Mine was bright orange.
- Set the Scene: Picture yourself outdoors in a private space, like your backyard. Hook up a hose with strong water pressure, and grab a clean plastic bag. (No, we’re not suffocating the doll! This is just for “safety.”)
- Throw Mud: Visualize throwing mud at the doll. Let every ounce of anger, frustration, and hurt come out. Picture the mud sticking to the doll, representing all the negative feelings you’ve been holding. Picture yourself throwing the mud as hard as you can—like you’re flinging all that pent-up frustration out of your system. Really let it fly!
- Hose it Down: Once the doll is covered in mud and you’ve let out every negative emotion, take your pretend hose and gently rinse it clean.
- Release and Heal: When the doll is clean, take a deep breath. You’ll feel lighter and more at peace.
This exercise worked wonders for me. When my mom used to say, “I’ll try,” it used to trigger feelings of being unheard or unimportant. But after doing this exercise, I felt no frustration when she said it again. I even replied, “Yes, Mom, you’re doing your best,” with genuine love
A Relationship Transformed
Thanks to this healing, I was able to have a beautiful relationship with my mom before she passed at the age of 100. I could tell her I loved her sincerely and without lingering hurt.
Clear It Now (Or Carry It Later)
If we don’t clear these old patterns now, we risk repeating them—or worse, dragging them into future lifetimes. Love yourself enough to take action for your own healing.
Want More Support?
If you’d like more guidance in breaking old habits and living with more joy, I’d love to help. Let’s schedule a free 20-minute chat to explore how I can support your journey.
