With the holidays near, we thought it would be good to talk about the challenge many of us face in maintaining our happiness - family drama. Time to put that spontaneity muscle to work and put the happy back into the holidays. For a lot of people the best thing about the holidays is family and the worst thing about the holidays is family. Whether it’s an individual you just don’t get along with, some old hatchet that despite being buried seems to resurface every year or just the overall dynamics of so many different personalities in the room - family gatherings can be a bit like powder kegs - you never know when they might just go off. We know there are somethings that just can’t be fix and we say - stop trying! It may sound simplistic but it truly is one of the biggest happiness solutions in the world - stop trying to fix the things that truly have nothing to do with you (like your drunk uncle’s racism). When we learn to acceptance and park our expectations, family dynamics get a lot easier. This is just one of the 6 tips we have for you in this podcast aimed at defusing the family drama this holiday season (or any time). Find out what other mindset shifts and actions can make this one of you happiest holidays yet. Plus, we give you a spontaneity sparker to do at your next family gathering that should help to put things into perspective, keep you present in the moment and foster more feelings of love. Just one little exercise that can seriously stop the drama before it starts. Tell us what you do to keep family drama at bay. Or, share how our tips helped you this holiday season. Connect with us on Facebook Page or on Twitter. We love to hear from The Spontaneous (that you!) If you’re having trouble keeping up with your desire to be more spontaneous, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll be happy to send along some gentle reminders. We all need a nudge once in awhile and remember - it doesn’t always have to be epic (like this week’s challenge) it just takes a sprinkle of spontaneity to help happiness happen. Resources: Here’s a link to the Party Games blog we mentioned. Need more inspiration tackling family drama? Have a listen to these podcasts: 009 Lower Your Expectations 008 Strengthening Couples Connection featuring Luis Congdon 016 Get Out of Your Own Way to Happiness 018 Deep Listening featuring Jennifer Swanson 024 The Mindfulness Spontaneity Connection