It’s Boxing Day — the day we break down boxes, throw away the wrapping, and quietly assess the gifts that missed the mark.

But what if the wrong gift isn’t the problem?

In this Boxing Day Fail Forward Friday, Heather explores how the very things we judge, hide, or downplay in ourselves are often our greatest gifts — just misunderstood, badly packaged, or feared.

From famous voices that were once rejected to a childhood swimming lesson that changed everything, this episode is a powerful invitation to stop hiding, stop shrinking, and stop pretending your gifts are “too much” or “not enough”.

As 2025 closes and 2026 approaches, this is your reminder that you don’t need a new gift — you need to unbox the one you already have.

If you’ve ever felt like you were playing small, dimming your light, or waiting for permission to shine… this episode is for you.

📝 Show Notes

It’s Boxing Day.

And somewhere in your house — or your life — there’s a gift that didn’t quite fit.

In this Fail Forward Friday episode, Heather dives into the idea of wrong gifts — not just the ones we exchange at Christmas, but the parts of ourselves we’ve wrapped up, hidden away, or decided don’t belong.

In this episode, Heather explores:

1. Why we often mislabel our greatest strengths as weaknesses
2. How being “different” is often the very thing that makes you unforgettable
3. What rejected voices can teach us about purpose and belonging
4. A childhood story that reframed what it really means to honour a gift
5. Why hiding your gifts isn’t humility — it’s fear in disguise
6. How the fear of success can be just as powerful as the fear of failure
7. Why Boxing Day is the perfect moment to unbox what you’ve been sitting on

Heather also reflects honestly on her own journey — where she’s been hiding, resisting, or playing small — and why 2026 is the year that changes.

You’ll hear reflections on:

1. Arnold Schwarzenegger and how the voice he was told would never work became his signature
2. Julie Kavner, whose “wrong” voice became one of the most iconic in television history
3. A powerful reminder inspired by the words often attributed to Marianne Williamson — that our deepest fear isn’t inadequacy, but our own light

This episode is an invitation to ask:

1. What gift have I boxed up and put away?
2. What part of me have I labelled “wrong” because it felt risky?
3. What would change if I let this gift take up space?

🎁 This Week’s Fail Forward Challenge: Unbox the Gift

Choose one thing you’ve been hiding — a talent, a truth, a strength, a voice.

Do one small but visible thing with it this week.

Not perfectly.

Not loudly.

Just honestly.

💛 Join the Conversation

Share your reflections and tag @ChoosingHappyPodcast

Subscribe, leave a review, and explore more at www.choosinghappy.space

And remember —

You don’t need a new gift.

You just need to stop hiding the one you already have.

Until next time…

Keep choosing happy.

How You Can Connect with Heather and Support This Independent Podcast:

Please like, share with someone who may need to hear this today, and/or leave a review and support the podcast. I really appreciate it.

Tired of the same patterns keeping you stuck?

Check out the Pattern Breaker Coaching Program: www.choosinghappy.co.uk/pattern-breaker

Want to dive deeper? Drop me an email: [email protected]

Join the conversation: Community | https://buymeacoffee.com/choosinghappy

More :

Feeling like your mind’s been running ahead of your soul?

Join Heather for The Power Pause Weekend—a two-part online retreat to rest, reset, and rebuild your creative rhythm.

Reserve your space at ChoosingHappy.space/powerpause