As I head home for the holidays, I'm conscious that this holiday will be different for so many of us. For the first time in over 60 years, my Mom will not be hosting Christmas, and for the first time in my life, I won't be with all my brothers and sisters this holiday. I know many of you can relate. Some of you have had to make the tough choice not to be with family, travel, or to keep the usual gatherings small. 

We're all doing our best to ride this out, to take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and each other. We will make the most of it and enjoy the company of those we are with. We will toast each other, laugh, have a good meal and maybe even shed a few tears missing the ones that cannot be with us or those who have passed.

Making these choices isn't always easy. My family, perhaps like yours, has experienced some tension and upset over these sorts of choices and decisions during this global pandemic. Letting love & respect for one another lead through the stress, the different perspectives, and boundaries, what people feel is appropriate and what's not, has had its challenges.

I know this is happening all around me. I hear it from my friends and my clients. Life seems to be asking all of us, in one way or another, to let go of our attachments to what we've always done, to listen and understand, to be less married to our opinions and get more open & patient, and to lean into the present moment, as it is. 

Navigating different needs, concerns, and opinions during these times can make love and peace-of-mind feel far away from us. 

The good news is that’s an illusion. Love, peace-of-mind, and connection are all right there for the taking. 

When we go beyond the noise of our upset, our worry, or our busy minds, we experience them. 

Circumstances and people do not have to change to drop into our own wellbeing and experience the love and connection that is already there. 

Don't get me wrong; I know it can be challenging. I know the struggle of trying to find that space within when my mind is spinning, or I'm worried about things that matter to me. I know how hard it is to find peace or connection when I feel justified in my upset – when I am “right.” 

This is part of being human. In our humanness, we ride the ups and downs of life via our internal experiences. We experience moments of love, connection, hurt, dismay, disappointment, hopefulness, joy, anger, and so on. We can count on the fact that our internal experiences will be fluid. 

Life is a moving feast, and so is the way we experience it. 

Knowing where to look, where to find our stability, our peace-of-mind; where to find love, connection, and goodwill when we need it most changes everything. 

It is revolutionary when we realize we find it by looking within. 

When we need it most, when it matters most, we will find our way by looking within.

When we look within, beyond our reactivity, beyond our thoughts, opinions, and feelings of disappointment, we fall into the deeper intelligence that is already there. We fall into our deeper nature, which is rich with insight and guidance. 

Within us lies a reservoir of peace-of-mind, wellbeing, clarity, fresh thinking, love, and connection. 

This space reminds us of who we are and gives us what we need for whatever life is presenting. We handle a change of plans, tough conversations, and our moods with more grace. From this space within, we connect to our true nature and our common humanity. We see through the distortions and misunderstandings. We see into the hearts of others, and love, respect, and goodwill naturally occur.

When we look within and find our peace-of-mind and resilience, we remember that we're ok. That we have what it takes to meet whatever life is sending our way.

Love and understanding are natural when we see others and the circumstances of our lives from a higher level of consciousness, from the truth of who we really are. 

At the end of the day, we are shown again and again that even in the midst of all of this uncertainty and chaos, love never waivers.