Hello     

It's the most wonderful time of the year..... perhaps. 

The end of a calendar year can be a complicated one for many folks. It would be easy to jump on the cultural bandwagon and recite all the reasons why it is a time to be filled with joy, however, I believe there's coaching value in poking at the other side to this time of year.

For some, this is the most energetically draining time of year - tons of work deadlines, closing out sales deals,  or wrapping up as many loose ends as possible before taking time away from the office. 

Layer this with the emotional impact the holiday season can have  and you may find yourself depleted of your personal energy and feeling as though you've hit a wall.

This condition can be disruptive, distracting, and cause distress.  In a word, you might look at this as a form of personal suffering that will have direct impact on the way you approach your life and work. 

If we were discussing this one-on-one, I'd say things like this to you, inserting personal examples from your past year: 

'It's been quite a 12 months....there's been significant things happen to you this year....you have expounded a ton of energy both personally and professionally... you've advanced your career...you've sacrificed much...some goals and aspirations have been met and some have not....some new challenges have been placed on your path....you've made some strides...you've suffered some terrible losses...you have grown...you are different... you are not the same person you were last year at this time.  And, all of that has taken energy.'   

Be mindful these coming weeks of your reaction to hitting a wall like this.  Rather than dismissing it or driving through it full speed, I encourage you to think about another approach to self-coaching your way through it:

Lean into it.

It might just be exactly where you are supposed to be. It might hold some clues and information that are important for you to understand.   It might be serving a more profound purpose in your life. 

In this time of reflection, consider some religious perspectives on the concept of suffering:

The Buddhist might say: 'sit with discomfort without trying to fix it, stay present with the pain and let it transform you.'

The Christian might say:  "Rom. 5:2-3 - '...more than rejoicing in our hope, we rejoice in our sufferings which produce endurance, character and hope...'

The Sikh might say: 'Suffering is a gift because it connects us to our deepest truth.'

The Rabbi might say:  ' You cannot run from suffering, it is an integral part of the process of birth of the self.' 

I encourage you to be aware of your energy supply during the coming weeks. If you find yourself experiencing a noticeable drop, try to just allow it and trust that you're not always in this state - this past year gives you enough evidence to show you that it is a temporary state. 

If you find your thoughts leaning to either extreme of denying it or embracing it as permanent, try using one of the  following phrases to end any thoughts or sentences that start with something like this: "I am completely drained and disconnected...":

....today.
....right now.
....at this moment.
....during this time of year.    

Lean into it for a while, see what it brings. 

Thank you for the privilege of sharing a few Second Cups with you this year and I wish you a very peace-filled holiday season.

email: mmalinchok@verizon.net 

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