12 Days Of Christmas Day 7

Welcome.

Find your seat and close your eyes.

Take a centering breath in and release.

Again,

Breathe in and out.

Once more,

Drawing in clarity and releasing confusion.

Let your breathing settle.

You have lived long enough to know the difference between people and situations that energize you and those that drain you.

Trust this knowing.

Think about a recent gathering or social obligation.

Notice how your body responds to the memory.

Does it feel light or heavy,

Open or contracted?

Your body knows the truth.

True connection,

The kind that nourishes your soul,

Feels like coming home.

It energizes rather than depletes.

It allows you to be yourself without performance or pretense.

But some gatherings ask you to perform,

To be smaller than you are,

To tolerate dynamics that don't honor your well-being,

And you're allowed to say no to these.

Saying no is not selfish,

It's self-preserving.

It's honoring the precious energy you have and choosing to spend it wisely.

Imagine drawing a gentle,

Protective boundary around yourself.

This boundary is not a wall,

It's a loving filter.

It allows in what nourishes you and keeps out what depletes you.

You don't owe anyone an explanation for protecting your energy.

No thank you is a complete sentence.

That doesn't work for me is enough.

Think about one upcoming social obligation that feels heavy.

Notice what it would feel like to decline,

To free up that time and energy for rest,

For joy,

For genuine connection.

Give yourself permission.

You have spent a lifetime saying yes when you meant no.

You've earned the right to be selective,

To honor your limits,

To choose wisely.

Take a deep breath in,

And release.

Begin to bring awareness back to the room.

Wiggle your fingers and toes,

And when you're ready,

Gently open your eyes.

You are allowed to choose connection that fills you rather than drains you.

Trust your knowing.