"There is a holiday moment many of us know well: the quiet walk outside, the long exhale, the brief escape from a room full of people we love but sometimes struggle to navigate. This season carries both beauty and weight. It can draw out our best qualities- generosity, gratitude, warmth-and also uncover the places where we are still growing. I used to think this tension meant something was wrong-and honestly, part of me still does."
"According to the model, 70% of growth comes from challenging experiences -the kind that push us outside our comfort zones. The holidays provide these moments with surprising precision: A comment that lands too sharply A disagreement about schedules or expectations The resurfacing of an old family dynamic The ache of grief or distance The overwhelm of trying to please everyone"
Holidays combine beauty and strain, bringing generosity, gratitude, warmth, and exposure of unresolved issues. Quiet moments outside gatherings offer temporary relief and perspective. Tension during celebrations often feels like failure, yet approaching those moments with curiosity rather than defensiveness supports learning. The 70-20-10 model frames growth with most learning coming from real-life challenges, many of which recur during holiday gatherings. Conversations with supportive people can convert holiday tension into meaningful introspection. Knowledge and tools do not produce instant fixes but provide resources for reflection and personal development after difficult moments.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]