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Welcome to Leveling Up with Lindsay, the podcast

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where we dive into leadership, small business,

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and everything in between. I'm Lindsay, your

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host and the proud owner of White Puny Boutique,

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a space created to empower women, build confidence,

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and foster meaningful connections. Whether you're

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an entrepreneur, a mom, a friend, or someone

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just looking for a little inspiration, This is

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your space to feel seen, supported, and inspired.

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Join me as we share stories, strategies, and

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a little bit of life's chaos while navigating

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what it truly means to level up in starting a

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business, relationship, and personal growth.

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So grab a cup of coffee, get comfy, and let's

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level up together. Hey friends, welcome back

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to Leveling Up with Lindsay. Today is a special

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episode, not because it's long or complicated,

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but because it's timely. We're walking into a

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season that holds a lot of emotion for a lot

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of people. Expectation, excitement, pressure,

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nostalgia, joy, and sometimes all of that in

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a single week. And I want to talk about something

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that I think we often forget. You are allowed

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to rewrite your holiday story. You are allowed

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to choose what actually fits in your life this

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year. Not the version of you from five years

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ago, not what people expect of you, and not what

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you've always done just because it's tradition.

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Somewhere along the way, the holidays became

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this big performance we put on. We tried to do

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everything the same way, year after year, even

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when our lives look nothing like they used to.

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But here's the truth, life changes every single

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year. So our holidays are allowed to change too.

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Maybe your kids are older, maybe your energy

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is different, maybe you're navigating something

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hard behind the scenes. Maybe your business is

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in its busiest, craziest season ever, like mine.

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Or maybe you're simply craving a softer, simpler.

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December. Whatever it is, this year does not

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have to match any year before. I'll be honest,

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this year already feels different for me. I can

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feel it in the pace, the weight, the joy, the

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excitement, all wrapped together. And I start

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thinking, what if instead of forcing myself to

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keep up with traditions that no longer fit our

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family, I choose the ones that actually bring

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me joy? Some things I'm keeping, some things

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I'm definitely simplifying, some things I'm rewriting

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entirely. and that's okay. It's more than okay

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and it's actually healthy because your holiday

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season should feel like a reflection of your

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current life, not a version of you that doesn't

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exist anymore. Today I want to give you something

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practical, something you can literally do today.

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Ask yourself number one, What do I need to release

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that doesn't fit my life this year? Maybe it's

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hosting every event, doing the same old just

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to people please someone else, saying yes when

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your soul is screaming no. Releasing something

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doesn't mean you're disappointing people. It

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means you're choosing what aligns with the season

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you're in. You can create boundaries. Number

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two takeaway is your keep list. You have to ask

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yourself, what are the traditions or moments

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that truly bring me joy and how can I protect

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them? Maybe it's one special baking day, matching

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pajamas over the holidays, a church service,

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driving around to look at lights, one meaningful

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gift exchange or even a quiet morning with coffee

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before the house wakes up. Keep the things that

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light you up. Not the things you feel obligated

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to do. For me, each year has looked slightly

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different. And of course, this year is a very,

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very, very busy time of year for my business.

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But the things that I vowed and will be present

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in doing this year. One example is my two girls

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and I already decorated our house upstairs and

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downstairs with all of our holiday decor. In

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the past years, we've rushed through this and

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maybe didn't get it all done, which... I didn't

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really give myself expectations or us. I just

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was so happy that we were together decorating.

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And we stayed up a little late in doing this,

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but it's just memories that I will forever cherish,

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the three of us, you know, with the Christmas

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music on. My oldest daughter made hot chocolate

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to kind of get ready for this. And it was, it's

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just, I took little videos and I'm like, I just

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want to hold on to this forever. This year, my

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mom and I also made a pact that we will indeed

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have our annual cookie baking day. Last year

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we were so busy we did not make time for this

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even though we've done this tradition since my

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kids have been little. But watching my dear grandmother

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grow a little weaker and a little older each

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day this year with zero question we were putting

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our work down filling my entire kitchen and living

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room with baking supplies like I'm telling you

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every table every nook and cranny has flour sugar

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everywhere and we're gonna make our full -fledged

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Christmas cookie day together. I had a photographer

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one year come for this day when Tenley was just

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little and it is the most magical pictures I

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will cherish for the rest of my life. Now number

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three, you want to ask yourself the rewrite question,

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okay? If I design this holiday from scratch,

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What would it look and feel like? So that is

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takeaway number three. I want you to think about

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this. You'll be surprised what comes up when

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you let yourself dream without guilt or expectations.

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Maybe what you're craving this year is peace

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or fun or flexibility or intention or less hustle

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or more presence. Whatever it is, you get to

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choose. You are not doing the holidays wrong.

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You are not failing if your season looks different

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than someone else's. You are evolving. and your

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holiday story gets to evolve with you. Traditions

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are so beautiful, but so is growth. So is adjusting.

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So is choosing what fits you and your family

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now. This is your permission slip. You get to

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create the holiday season that feels the most

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like home for your heart this year. Thank you

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for hanging out with me today. If this episode

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made you feel lighter, encouraged, or even just

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a little more grounded heading into the week,

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please share it with a friend who might need

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the same reminder. And as always, I'm cheering

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you on through every season, especially this

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one. See you next week on Leveling Up with Lindsay.

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Thank you for listening. If you found this information

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helpful, please share it with a friend. If you're

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looking for more information on the topics we

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covered, please head to the show notes below.

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And if you wouldn't mind leaving a five -star

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rating and review, this would help this mission

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and our journey to get started. Let's make today

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and every day an opportunity to level up. Until

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next time, keep dreaming, keep striving, and

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keep making a difference.