It's the happiest time of year!   Unless it's not.     I had a fantastic conversation with Life Transformation Strategist Cristina Jolly about how to handle this time of year when you don't exactly FEEL happy.  Christina is the host of the Believe for Bigger Podcast, and a life coach who helps women who struggle with identity, lack of confidence and helps them embrace their worth, step into boldness and operate in their gifts with confidence.    We spoke about the larger topics of finding and cultivating gratitude, and being open to change and things looking different than they have in the past.  We also talked about some more tactical tips like how to successfully ask for the help you need, and how to have productive conversations with family.    After we recorded this episode I've been having some additional thoughts about the holidays that I'm feeling called to share.  I think sometimes we can feel down during the holidays because we lost sight of WHY we have the holidays.  Christmas isn't JUST about presents, and cookies, and Santa. It's not JUST about expectations, and family stress, and drama, and the like.  It's about Jesus.  Christmas is about God coming to earth in the form of Jesus to set in motion the most important fulfillment of God's prophecy.  It's about the birth of the Savior of the world, the Savior sent just for YOU and just for ME.     It's true, the holidays can feel stressful, but in my experience, I ONLY feel stress if I've veered from the truth of the Christmas.  If we keep Jesus front and center my stress is removed, my kids are full of gratitude, my husband is calm, and no matter what goes awry it really doesn't phase us because what is TRULY important is eternal and unchanging.  We talk a lot about cultivating gratitude in this episode, but truly my gratitude is for Christ, for His birth and later His sacrifice, and for His hand on my life.     Friend, this Christmas I'm praying for peace in your heart and mind and I'm praying that if you don't yet know the peace of Jesus, that this Christmas season it is revealed to you.     XOXO Tara   PS. If anything in this episode resonated with you, then share the LOVE! Head to iTunes and subscribe and leave a written review or post a screenshot of this episode in your stories and tag me @tarafaulmann    Healthy Holidays Masterclass! Did you know that the average American gains 8 pounds over the holidays?  If you're worried about weight gain over the holidays, stress eating, or overeating, this masterclass is for you! You're going to learn my best strategies for overcoming emotional and stress eating, how to deal with the overwhelm of the holidays without food.  We'll talk about how your body work. How does stress during the holidays affect your body? How does food choice affect your cravings during the holidays, we are touching on it all.  You're going to leave that masterclass with tons of skills and tools that you can use simple strategies and actionable steps that you can put into place right away,  and create your plan for Handling the Holidays and staying on track!   Learn More & Register!   Important Links: If you struggle with yo-yo dieting, emotional eating or creating lasting weight loss and health, then check out the Healthy Mind, Healthy Body Program and Membership so you can ditch the diets and finally make peace with food.   Connect with Special Guest Christina Jolly! Website: https://christinajolly.com/ Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-for-bigger/id1526276186?uo=4 Instagram: @christinahjolly   👉 Ask me! Go ahead and ask! I'd love to answer your burning questions on the podcast! I guarantee, if you're wondering something, you're not the only one.  Click to Ask Tara and leave me a short question . . . and then listen for your question to be answered on an upcoming episode!    Subscribe and Review:   I'm honored to be a part of your health and wellness journey by showing up each week with inspiring, educational,