The winter holiday season is a wonderful time of year. Just not for everyone. I tend to go through a spiral of emotions during this time of year. I volunteer at a toy drive in an urban area of Dallas, and I help hand out toys to over ten thousand kids who would otherwise not receive a toy this year. Needless to say, it is a humbling experience for people on both sides of the line.

To many people’s surprise, I was often on the other side of the line growing up, so I know all too well the feelings of emptiness during the holidays. I guess when I get right down to it.  I’m not all that crazy about the holidays.

I’m not a scrooge.  I’m far from it! This is a great time of year!  However, I know that this can be a very stressful time of year for many people.  I believe my feelings stem from my childhood, and I know that I am not alone in those stressful feelings during the holidays.  There is a monumental amount of stress that many people and families go through this time of year. The stress develops due to lack of funds, old feelings resurfacing, property taxes due, relatives, and apparently much more.

Did I forget the unwanted weight gain? Oh! Many people attribute it to the overeating when I know it has more to do with dealing with real life than the food itself.

My Background
I was an only child up until age 10. I grew up in a household with a father that never worked a legitimate job until he drove a cab in Las Vegas at age 60 for the last 3 years of his life. My Dad was a degenerate compulsive gambler from Brooklyn, New York. My Mom, who has a heart as big as Texas, was an overeater who suffered from low self-esteem due to her negative self-image, which was exasperated by an abusive husband.

I was very much loved by both parents. I wasn’t physically abused, but the environment I was forced to live in was abusive itself. We were forced to move repeatedly because my Dad was always avoiding bookies, loan sharks, or local and federal authorities, and often it was in the middle of the night with just the clothes on our backs.

With bowl games, playoffs and basketball, the holiday season for a compulsive gambler is comparable to toys under the tree to an 8 year old. The outcome was always the same, and as hard as I try, I cannot recall one single holiday during that period of my life that did not end in mayhem. The fondest memory I have is when I was about 6 or 7 and my Dad had about six bucks and some change. They were raffling off free turkeys.  Our family won the turkey, and then my father let me buy as much candy as his money would allow. I was happy for as long as there was no fighting in the house, as short lived as that was.

Please don’t get me wrong. I LOVE spending time with loved ones and close friends, and I am blessed to have many in my life. But my background reminds me that the holidays can be as stressful as they are wonderful.

Emotional Soup
I know that the soup lines will be full in December, so I have to prepare my organization for a different kind of soup line. I call it emotional soup. Having been in the fitness business for almost 30 years, I am well versed at helping distribute the single best stress buster on this planet. It is exercise, healthy food and a mountain of positive energy.

In the past, I just survived the holidays and held on for dear life, hoping to get through it. I’m now a 10th degree black belt in thriving during the holidays. I have mastered getting leaner, or should I say my leanest, in the month of December. I practically am standing outside of Wal-Mart like the Salvation Army jingling my bell.  Instead of looking for a donation, I’m handing out buckets of healthy information.

What I Have Learned
Looking back, it was what it was and I’m somewhat glad I came from humble beginnings.  I realize that, as bad as it might have been, there are many people who have it much worse.

I am now approaching age 50, and I realize that regardless of their upbringing, many people have skeletons that tend to resurface this time of year. I know some people that get completely knotted up at the thought of having to visit certain relatives over the next few weeks. I also know people that refuse to visit their relatives.

So just how do I always find a way to thrive during the holiday season?

I start with a goal, and that leads into a mindset that says I can and will get leaner in the next 30 days while also enjoying all the food I want.  I know that I can be successful in this because I know just how much to eat and when to stop. I know that if I eat 5 times a day, which is 35 times per week, that it is not only OK to have a bad food choice. It is actually preferred. I slowly ramp up my cardio to a full hour and never miss a workout. I lift weights with an idea of how I am going to look headed into the New Year. I stock my refrigerator with plenty of healthy food. I even get a manicure, pedicure, massage and start taking better care of my skin. I give myself permission to eat whatever I want, and the good news for me is I usually want the better choice foods. I catch up on my reading and the first person I buy a gift for is me. That’s right me.

I have learned the most valuable secret in the world and that is if I am going to be able to love and take care of all the people that are important in my life, I must also learn to be selfish to the point of taking care of myself to the highest level. If I don’t love me, I certainly can’t love you! If I don’t take care of me, I certainly can’t take care of you.

Therefore, my gift to you this holiday season is the gift of understanding that YOU and YOU alone are the most important person in your life! To neglect yourself for the sake of others may appear noble.  However, if you really love the ones you love, you will know that they want you to be healthy, positive and most of all happy. If you take this approach and revitalize your efforts, you will start to feel the stress you normally feel this time of year slowly evaporating.

I want to thank all of you for such a wonderful experience and for allowing me to be your Voice of Wellness. The best gift you can give me is the gift of success. If you or someone you know has benefited from our wellness initiatives, please send a brief story of your success to larry@larrynorth.com and to wellness@acs-inc.com.  Also, don’t be afraid to share those wonderful before and after photos.  And congratulations on making the decision to make your health a priority in your life for the New Year!

Happy Holidays,

Larry North