Holding Onto Yourself Over the Holidays

And embracing the discomfort of things undone.

This week is for paid subscribers, but I’ll be back next week with a post for everyone to help you reflect on 2023, and look towards 2024. As always, if there’s an email you think would help you, and you don’t have the funds, just let me know! - K

December is a time of year where the pseudo-self is really running the show. Our definitions of what’s important, what’s fun, what can wait until January get swallowed up by societal, familial, and organizational expectations.

Ramp up the pace of life, and we’re bound to borrow thinking from others.

It’s easy to borrow ideas about:

• How you should spend your free time.

• How you spend time with family.

• How you should show people you love them.

• What makes a holiday “special” for kids.

• How you should stay plugged into or unplugged from work.

• How you should set goals at the beginning of the year.

• How you should stop setting goals at the beginning of the year.

But maturity is not about what you value, or what you decide. It’s the process by which you come to your conclusions. How much should is in them, and how much self is in them?