My hope for you this week is that you enjoy a meaningful, blessed, and possibly even happy, holiday.

This week marks the culmination of several weeks of “preparation” for my faiths and religions.  It has been a time to remember the difficulties and struggles of life, to recall our own mortality and the transitory nature of our lives.  I’ve written about the darkness experienced by some people during this time of year – of the struggle of this “preparation” and the possibility of further darkness as we dive deeper into the winter season.  We’ve discussed the difficulties in family and relationships often highlighted by this time of year and what it means to set boundaries.

However, now is the time to enjoy the good that must come with the bad – the light that follows the dark.  This is an opportunity to embrace the suggestions of The Meaning Manifesto I shared a few weeks ago.  Regardless of your belief system – spiritual, religious, political, etc., this week, more than most others throughout the year, marks an opportunity to discover new meaning – to embrace the healthy and positive experiences, situations, and behaviors we have discussed all year.  This week provides us with many opportunities to nourish our noetic core.  Many of us will have time off of work to spend with family and friends, we will enjoy good food and libations, we will give gifts to loved ones, and spend time with those we may not see regularly throughout the year.  These are all opportunities to experience meaning.

My wish for you, as we close out the year and engage in celebration, is that this time is a good one for you, a meaningful one filled with joy, purpose, and happiness.

If you are looking to go deeper into the ideas behind The Meaning Manifesto, or discuss concepts like your “noetic core” in the new year, check out my course on The Psychology of Meaning here.  https://drdan.teachable.com/p/logotherapy-the-psychology-of-meaning