As crazy as it sounds to be saying this before the pumpkins have been out away, the holiday season is upon us. If you lived long enough to have been part of the transition from ghouls & goblins to gobble gobble then jingle bells, you know it happens in a blink of an eye. Of course the calendar remains the same. But no matter how much time we think we have, it always feels like that time was sped up.   As we approach the holiday season, a sad reminder lurks in the atmosphere for many. These feelings can lead to a depressive state or other unhealthy feelings. Whether it’s missing family or friends, realization of not having any family or friends, or being overwhelmed by family or friends, ‘it’s the season where things can go downhill for many if they’re no careful & conscientious of the signs.  Isn’t it ironic that the season that is supposed to be filled with joy and laughter has the highest instances of suicide?  Part of the problem is attributed to people living in the “supposed to be” world instead of being present in what really is. It isn’t always easy to do when our brains have been programmed with preconceived images of what society says the holidays are all about. But what happens when one’s reality doesn’t align with those images? How do we move right along with contentment instead of resentment for things not being how we think they should? Although many may struggle, the answer may be very simple. Gratitude.  Of course there are other actions we can take and mindsets we can adopt. Starting with gratitude can make those steps a little easier. Check out Episode 94 as we share other suggestions to help cope with holiday blues.   Like, share & leave a comment below!  And don’t forget to follow on IG @act2_thepodcast !  Thank you for watching!