There are many people who are seeing others as their true selves for the first time. As is no surprise, there is a lot of necessary healing to undo the pain caused by not acknowledging, and by not being acknowledged. Where do you start such an intense process? I encourage people to realize that one of the easiest, most natural and genuine ways to begin healing is through stories. When you tell your story, and when you listen to someone’s story, the common threads of humanity are activated in a powerful way.

Think of a current challenge or life situation you are facing. Are you in the red zone, the place that is so stressful and overwhelming that finding growth is not possible? Are you in the green zone, the place where you’re feeling the stretch, but it ultimately still feels manageable? Or are you in the blue zone, the place where you are not growing due to lack of challenge?

Around this time of year, many of my clients come to me for help with managing the stresses that come along with the Thanksgiving holiday. In the spirit of mindfulness, I encourage my clients to examine and challenge their beliefs (and accompanying behaviors) that may be making the holiday less healthy or more stressful. I have noticed two reoccurring automatic assumptions related to Thanksgiving that I’d like to share, along with mindfulness-based recommendations that I offer my clients to help make this a happier and healthier holiday.