From Grinch to Whovian, A daily practice

In this Yuletide Renewal bonus episode, we explore the real spirit of Christmas… not the sparkly, Hallmark version, but the deeper story we keep telling every year for a reason.

Whether it’s the Grinch, Scrooge, George Bailey, or that familiar holiday rom-com plot, these stories aren’t actually about Christmas at all.

They’re about what happens when a heart closes… and what happens when it slowly, imperfectly, opens again.

This episode is a reflection on armoring, exhaustion, disappointment, and the very human rhythm of opening and closing that lives inside all of us. It’s about recognizing that becoming open-hearted isn’t a one-time transformation. It’s a daily practice. Sometimes an hourly one. Sometimes it happens after one email, one traffic light, or one awkward family moment involving fart jokes at the dinner table.

We talk about:

• Why closed hearts aren’t broken… they’re protected
• The difference between cheer and love
• How resourcing yourself makes it possible to soften again
• Why the miracle isn’t staying open, but reopening
• The deeper meaning behind the Christmas and Christian stories when you strip away the moral pressure

At its core, this episode is about secure attachment at a human level… learning that love doesn’t disappear when you shut down, that belonging isn’t something you earn, and that you’re allowed to come back again and again.

You don’t have to be open all the time to be loving.
You don’t have to stay soft to be good.

You just have to be willing to let your heart open again when it’s ready… even a little.

That’s the miracle these stories keep pointing to.
And maybe that’s why we keep returning to them.

For more support and to further this work, check out www.therapytothrive.com