Be Better, Be More Series.

As November rolls around, the change in weather affects us all. It brings some of us joy; while others sadness. It is a gentle but very present reminder that the holidays and the new year are rapidly approaching. In previous posts, we discussed the importance of knowing and bettering yourself, as well as practicing patience in the presence of change. This post is merely your reminder to stay true to these disciplines, even during this time of year.

Maybe there is a family member who has wronged you. Maybe you are mourning the death of a loved one. Maybe you really just cannot stand your sibling!

That’s ok.

While I have stressed the importance of ridding your life of those who do not better your life in any way, I ask you to do one thing: reflect. Has the person who wronged you physically or mentally hurt you to the point of no return? If not, let’s reflect for a second. Has this person openly tried to apologize time and time again? Do you have a sadness in your heart when you think of this person? Maybe it is time to reconnect. Bring the meaning of this relationship to the table again and look at it for a second. Be honest with yourself. Perhaps you might have contributed a little to the chaos the relationship turned into. Humans are not perfect species. Make sure you dig deep into the relationship focusing on the contribution you both made to the state of the relationship. Even if you are past the point of reconnecting with this relationship, you can still choose to forgive them anyway. Sometimes people truly are in our past for a reason, and the holidays may not be the time to attempt to reconnect if doing so feels like too heavy a burden with no signs of inner peace.

Basically, what I am trying to say here is simply to reflect. Reflect on the hurt someone has caused you (or even that you may have caused). How has that hurt affected you this year? What can you do to either mend the connection or forgive and move on?

Reflect.

Embrace the lessons these connections brought you and write down what you want to look for in current or future relationships.

Choose peace this season, you deserve it!