My Dearest Gentle Reader,
Today is such a special day—it’s my mommy’s birthday. In her honor, I’m excited to share this gift with you. I truly believe it has the power to change your life, strengthen your most meaningful relationships, and transform your beliefs about the holidays.
I won’t pretend this journey is easy. I remember dreading the holidays because they seemed to magnify my losses. Social invitations filled me with anxiety—I was afraid I wouldn’t be “happy” enough. The truth was, I wasn’t happy. My heart was broken, and I was grieving. I felt like no one understood.
I didn’t want the label of “the girl that just lost her father,” even though, deep down, I was that girl. I had just lost my last remaining parent and felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. I convinced myself that complete disconnection and isolation were my safest options. While moments of solitude are necessary, I realized that total disconnection robbed me of the comfort and support I so desperately needed. It created space for negative thoughts to grow and take over, turning into foundational truths that dictated my reality.
I stayed home, longing for connection. I was exhausted but couldn’t find rest. My belief that isolation was my safest companion only deepened my pain. These ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) became my puppet masters. They dictated my decisions and suffocated my joy.
It wasn’t until I decided to be brave—to give hope and connection a chance—that I realized meaningful relationships are invaluable and restorative. My ANTs were trying to protect me, but they were also keeping me stuck. Disconnection wasn’t my only option. I had choices. Isolation was to my detriment, not my benefit.
I learned that I could engage during the holidays—on my terms.
Hope is possible after loss.
This survival toolkit is everything I’ve learned on my journey to wellness. It’s your holiday companion, filled with strategies and tools to empower you. My hope is that it helps you make courageous decisions daily, get curious about yourself, and take small but meaningful steps forward.
In this book, you’ll find powerful tools, including:
The Daily Capacity Assessment: Check in with yourself and honor your emotional and physical limits each day.
Crafting Your Holiday Social Plan: Practical strategies to navigate invitations, with examples for politely declining or accepting with a safety clause, like, “I might need to leave early.”
Creating a Comfort Kit: Build a collection of items that bring you calm, comfort, and peace when you need them most.
Strategies to Give Your Best Yes: Learn how to confidently say yes—or no—on your terms, in a way that aligns with your needs and capacity.
Surviving the holidays is possible. When you know your capacity, identify your needs, and embrace the tools and strategies that work for you, you can find hope and connection again.
This toolkit is my free gift to you.
Click here to begin your journey to hope: [https://inspire.gwendolynjjones.com/survive].
This year, let’s give the gift of hope. If you know someone who could benefit from this holiday companion, please share this link with them.
I love you.
I believe in you.
I’m rooting for you every step of the way.
Mommy, this one’s for you. You gave me the gift of life, and prayerfully, this toolkit will bring love, light, and life back to so many others.
With love,
Gwen
Ultimate Holiday Survival Toolkit: https://inspire.gwendolynjjones.com/survive
Connect with Me: gwendolynjjones.com
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