Written by Jenn Leigh, Bridal & Life Coach
“Gain clarity around your desires before the holidays and ground yourself before gatherings so you will feel your best and answer any questions from your family and friends with love.”
Hello, Gorgeous!
Happy holidays and congratulations on your engagement! Being engaged is such an exciting time in your life and I know that it can also be stressful and overwhelming, especially during the holiday season because you may have to deal with family dynamics and drama.
My intention for this piece is that you will feel more aligned with yourself and less stressed when it comes to navigating the holidays while being engaged.
First of all, I want to honor you for taking the time to read this because it shows how you are making yourself a priority and that is key right now more than ever.
I want you to know that when you do something for YOU and show up for yourself you are essentially helping to elevate those around you as well. It creates a beautiful ripple effect in the world.
I know we may not all be back to grand holiday gatherings of years past, but there may still be someone or something that will trigger you.
I want you think about what is coming up for you when you think about your wedding planning or things you are hearing from others regarding your wedding.
Do you find yourself taking advice from your mom, future MIL, MOH, best friend, or sister?
Take a moment and identify all the areas where you are having difficulty and facing challenges.
Allow yourself to feel everything that is coming up for you.
Ask yourself, “What is it that they are reflecting back to me?”
Something that can be difficult to hear is that everything starts with us. So instead of pointing fingers and blaming others, ask yourself what is it that they are reflecting back to me?
When I started recognizing this, things started to shift in my world. For most of my life I feared of being “too much” and being judged by others, so of course people were reflecting that back to me. Throughout my wedding planning I would get asked questions like…
“Why do you want to have destination wedding?”
“Isn’t that too much to ask your guests to travel?”
When I took a step back and thought about these questions I was able to witness the pattern and how my fear of being “too much” was being reflected back to me. I realized that by staying in the pattern, it shut off the flow of abundance coming back to me. So I asked myself…
“How can I see these things differently?”
I shifted my perspective to this…
“Our destination wedding is going to be amazing!”
“Our guests will want to come celebrate our love and enjoy their time spent in charming Charleston, SC.”
It was incredible to witness how people started to respond differently and say things like “I’ve always wanted to go to Charleston. Thanks for giving us a reason to go and explore.”
Something that is always important to remember is that you’re okay and you’re safe no matter what. It’s safe to BE YOU. Security and safety comes from you, not anybody else.
I recommend to add more self love into your daily life so that you can integrate your new pattern.
“Allow yourself to fill yourself up so that when you’re at a holiday party with family and friends, you respond from a more loving place instead of react out of fear, judgement, or attack.”
Allow yourself to fill yourself up so that when you’re at a holiday party with family and friends, you respond from a more loving place instead of react out of fear, judgement, or attack.
Create a “light up list” and pick something off of it to do every day for 5-10 minutes. Some of my favorite things on my list are working out, going for a nature walk, having a solo dance party, arranging fresh flowers, blasting my favorite music, or taking a bubble bath. Literally anything that lights you up can be on this list!
It’s important to gain clarity around your desires before the holidays and ground yourself before heading into holiday gatherings so you will feel your best and you will answer any questions from your family and friends with love. You will be radiating love and spreading it all around you.
You do not want to have any regret, resentment, or anger towards others especially around your wedding because it will effect how you feel. This is why this work is so important at this time.
I hope this serves you well! I am wishing you, your fiancé, and your family a joyful and safe holiday season. Be merry and bright at your holiday gatherings…be the light & own it!
XOXO
About Jenn Leigh
Jenn Leigh is a bridal coach and self love expert. She empowers brides to find their voice and ignite their inner confidence so they can build trust in themselves, gain clarity around their desires, let go of people pleasing, and create the wedding of THEIR dreams, not someone else’s. She helps them reframe how it feels to plan a wedding, shifting from a state of feeling stress, anxiety, and overwhelm to experiencing fun, joy, and ease. She helps brides become the best version of themselves so they can walk down the aisle confidently and be fully present in all the special bridal moments.
Find out more about Jenn and her offers at www.jennleigh.com. Let’s connect @xoxojennleigh on Instagram and Facebook!
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