What Happened to US?

Christmas Reflection

What happened to us?

What happened to that magical feeling we had at Christmas when we were kids?

Think back for a moment — what was Christmas like when you were little?
For most of us, it was a time of pure excitement. Making a Christmas list. Writing letters to Santa. Seeing him at the mall. Lying awake on Christmas Eve, trying to stay still but too full of joy and wonder to sleep.

So… what happened to that happy, excited child we once were?

What happened to the toddler who would walk up to a mirror and kiss it?
The 3-year-old who ran through the house wearing a Batman cape or ballerina tutu, filled with total confidence and zero self-doubt?
The preschooler who sang loudly without embarrassment?
The grade-schooler who threw their arms in the air and shouted “TA-DA!” after accomplishing something small but proud?

Where did that child go?

Somewhere along the line — maybe around third or fourth grade, but definitely by junior high — something changed. Our confidence took a hit.

Someone — maybe a classmate, maybe even an adult — made fun of us.
Someone told us we weren’t good enough, or that our dream was “silly.”
And little by little, we began to believe them.

We started to hide our light.
We stopped trying out for the school musical or the baseball team because we didn’t want to be embarrassed.
We started “playing it safe.”

Then came social media — and suddenly the criticism wasn’t just from people we knew. Now, strangers could tear us down, too.

And over time, we learned to believe we were less — less worthy, less special, less us.

We settle.
We say we’re “fine,” but inside, we’re miserable.
We become spectators in our own lives.

But here’s the good news:
Since this behavior was learned, it can be unlearned.

We can restore our confidence. We can reclaim our courage. We can take our life back.

Will it be easy? No.
But it’s possible.

In one of my interviews, Mel Robbins told me: “To have courage, you must have fear.”

She shared a story about a young woman — 22 years old, engaged to be married — who was terrified to tell her mother she didn’t want a big traditional wedding. She wanted to elope to Las Vegas with her fiancé — no pomp, no party, just the two of them.

Do you think it took courage for her to tell her mother that?
You’re damn right it did.

The conversation was tense. Her mom wanted everything to be “perfect.” But perfect for Mom wasn’t perfect for the bride.

And that’s the lesson —
It’s not our job to make others happy at the expense of our own happiness.

As we approach Christmas 2025, the world feels heavy again.
We’re being told — in subtle and not-so-subtle ways — that we don’t matter. That we should just “fall in line.”

Frustration, anxiety, isolation, depression — all of it’s rising again.

So this Christmas, I want to challenge you:
Don’t take the bait.

Let’s bring back the spirit, the joy, the kindness, and the confidence we had as children.

Every positive movement — every great change — starts with one simple act of kindness.

It doesn’t have to be big or expensive.
It can be a smile.
A “hello” to a stranger.
Donating food to a shelter.
Buying a gift for a toy drive.
Calling or visiting a friend or family member.

These small acts say something powerful:
I see you.
I hear you.
You matter.

And maybe — just maybe — that’s how we start finding our way back to that joyful, confident child we used to be.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

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