Simple Christmas: Your Authentic Self - Let It Shine

This post is written by contributing author Shelly Kerry.

The holiday season can make everyone feel a little off-kilter. Even the fun activities like all the parties and gatherings can make us feel overwhelmed. It makes sense to me. Our schedules become even busier and the energy in and outside of our homes is at an all time high. It is normal to feel a little disconnected from our own personal projects and from our own needs.

It is a beautiful time of year when we are giving and doing a lot with others. I love this aspect of the holidays but sometimes self care suffers during these busy times. How do you prevent overwhelm and how do you deal with the disconnection?

I took a very helpful class on business and boundaries from friend, psychotherapist and SF artist (Zelma Rose), Lisa Anderson Shaffer. She was discussing how to reply to even the most difficult emails with grace. It is easy to answer emails with haste and judgment. She reminded us that if we take some time (say maybe 24 hrs.) and our reply really speaks to the person we want to be (say someone kind, approachable and compassionate) then we can maintain a connection to our true self and secure good, healthy practices. The class was for small business owners so in our case this was all about securing good business relations and maintaining a level of professionalism.

I took a lot of wonderful business advice from this class but the question I kept asking myself was “What are my personality traits that make me feel confident and happy? What do I want my clients to see?  During times of overwhelm and disconnection, what personality traits do I want to shine? I wrote these words on my wall - Compassionate, Magnetic, Compelling and Authentic.

Even during times of stress, I want these characteristics to show. When I am trying to complete my Christmas shopping and families are running around the stores in a frantic state, I am going to remember the word compassion.

When I really am trying to rush home to relax and I found myself mumbling under my breath, head down, I want to smile at people and meditate on the word magnetic.

When we are busy and the world around us is even busier, it is so easy to lose track of our wishes.

When we try to stay true to our dreams of who not what we want to be then we and our friends and loved ones get the best and biggest present of all - our true, authentic self.

I wish for you all a happy and loving holiday season! I look forward to the new year full of new, fresh ideas and experiences.

Shelly is the founder of the program Creating Space, Mindful Living – motivating and inspiring people to run their businesses more efficiently. She helps others look at their personal and professional lives and explore what is and isn’t working. As a jewelry designer she has spent many years testing and honing the skills and discipline needed to run your own creative business while still having time for friends, family and fun. She puts her wealth of experience to use in the Creating Space service – healthy living advice to help keep you motivated and make the most out of your already busy schedule. She will help you find both the physical and emotional space so you can pursue your dreams and she’ll always insist there’s time for yourself. You can also find Creating Space on Facebook or contact shelly@creatingspacemindfulliving.com