Keeping the Spark Alive: Finding Joy and Connection This Holiday Season
Remembering the Joy We Used to Feel
Between to-do lists, family gatherings, and a calendar that somehow fills up overnight, it’s incredibly easy to slip into holiday autopilot. The routine gets heavy, the expectations pile up, and suddenly the joy you were looking forward to feels… a little out of reach.
But here’s the truth: the holidays don’t have to be all stress and no spark.
Not when the kid within us is still there — waiting for a moment to come out and play.
As adults, we get so caught up in managing everything that we forget what this season used to feel like: magical, adventurous, full of silly little moments that made us smile without trying. This post is a reminder that the joy you’re missing isn’t gone — it’s just buried under the busyness, and this time of year is the perfect invitation to dig it back up.
Because connection doesn’t always require grand gestures or perfectly curated moments. Sometimes it looks like shared laughter in the kitchen, a spontaneous dance break while wrapping gifts, running to the door like a kid when a package arrives, or simply choosing to be fully present with the people you love.
This is your gentle nudge to slow down, look around, and let a little of that childhood wonder back in.
Because joy doesn’t disappear when life gets busy — it just needs an opening.
Reclaiming the Magic of the Season
There was a time when the holidays felt magical — not because everything was perfect, but because everything felt possible.
We didn’t worry about time, to-do lists, or expectations.
We didn’t plan joy — we simply lived it.
And if you grew up with holiday traditions, you remember how simple that magic used to be. The smell of cinnamon and freshly baked cookies drifting through the house. The bright lights on the block that made us stop in our tracks, pulling us in, inviting us to pause and take in the moment.
As a parent, watching your children during the holidays felt like witnessing joy in its purest form. Their excitement filled the entire house.
Christmas lists tucked everywhere — handwritten wishes folded into pockets, slipped under pillows, taped proudly to the fridge — little reminders of their endless imagination.
And back in the day, those big Christmas catalogs?
Kids would circle everything — not because they expected it all, but because dreaming felt fun.
Because imagining felt free.
Because that was the season when anything felt possible.
Even the shopping used to feel different — lighter, more playful.
You’d walk through the store knowing your kids would probably end up with more than you intended (because how do you say no to that kind of pure joy?).
But somehow, instead of stress, there was excitement.
There was intention.
There was love behind every gift, every surprise, every late-night wrapping session.
That magic — the wonder, the laughter, the freedom — is still here.
We just forget to reach for it.
This season is your reminder that the child within you hasn’t disappeared.
They’re still circling pages.
Still dreaming big.
Still waiting for you to pause long enough to feel the excitement again.
The holidays are not just a checklist.
They’re an invitation.
A chance to remember what joy felt like before life got complicated —
and to let that feeling lead you forward.
And once you remember the magic — once you feel even a spark of that childhood wonder returning — joy suddenly becomes easier to reach for.
The beautiful part?
You don’t need anything big or perfect to experience it.
Sometimes all it takes is a few simple, playful choices to invite joy back in.
Which brings us to the fun part…
Bringing Playfulness Back Into the Season
“Sometimes we just need simple, accessible ways to invite joy back in.”
Now that we’ve touched the magic, the nostalgia, and the spark within, let’s make it real.
Let’s bring that joy forward — not in a big, overwhelming way, but in small, meaningful moments you can actually enjoy.
Because this season isn’t about perfection.
It’s about connection.
It’s about warmth.
It’s about giving yourself permission to laugh, play, and create memories that feel good to you.
So, I put together a list of simple, joyful things you can try — things that remind you of what this season can feel like when you let yourself lean into it.
Fun things.
Soft things.
Moments you can share… or savor on your own.
These “spark starters” are here to help you reconnect with love, presence, and the magic you deserve to feel.
✨ Holiday Spark Starters: Simple Ways to Reconnect This Season
Because sometimes joy just needs an invitation.
For Couples or Someone You’re Seeing
Share a “no phones for one hour” night and just talk or laugh.
Make hot chocolate and sit under the tree or holiday lights together.
Take a late-night drive to look at neighborhood lights.
Ask each other a fun, flirty, or nostalgic question.
Cook one meal together — even if it’s simple.
For Family & Kids
Bake one easy holiday treat together (cookies count).
Let the kids choose a 1-hour activity — their version of a mini “Yes Day.”
Have a holiday movie night with blankets and snacks.
Make homemade ornaments, cards, or a family gratitude board.
Go on a “joy scavenger hunt” — find 3 things that make everyone smile.
For Friends
Do your holiday shopping together and grab coffee afterward.
Plan a pajama brunch — low effort, high connection.
Write each other short, handwritten notes instead of gifts.
Have a board-game or card-game night.
Take a winter walk to chat and catch up.
For Those Navigating the Season Solo
Buy yourself a small, meaningful gift — something you’ve been wanting.
Take yourself somewhere cozy or nostalgic.
Write a letter to your future self about the year ahead.
Try a new recipe just for you.
Create a calming or empowering end-of-year playlist.
Quick Reset Moments (For Everyone)
Take a 5-minute pause to breathe or stretch.
Step outside for a bit of fresh air.
Light a candle and sit quietly for a moment.
Turn on a favorite song and move your body.
Write down three things you want to savor this season.
Joy Is Still Yours to Choose
As the season moves quickly around you, remember this: joy doesn’t ask for perfection.
It doesn’t need a spotless house, an organized schedule, or the “right” moment to appear.
Joy shows up in the small things — the laughter you didn’t expect, the warmth you didn’t plan, the spark that returns when you give yourself permission to feel good again.
The holidays are a beautiful reminder that we’re allowed to slow down, be present, and reconnect with the parts of ourselves we sometimes forget in the rush of everyday life — especially the kid within who still believes in magic.
So, choose what feels good this season.
Choose the moments that bring light.
Choose the connections that feel warm.
Choose the memories that make you smile long after the lights come down.
You deserve that kind of joy — not just during the holidays, but always.
✨ Looking Ahead
In the next part of this series — Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Year of Inner Growth — we shift from playfulness into reflection.
Because once the laughter settles and the magic quiets, the heart naturally turns inward.
Part 4 is where we pause to honor the year behind us — the lessons learned, the resilience built, and the ways we’ve grown in moments we never expected.
It’s a gentle reset before the new year begins.
A space to celebrate how far you’ve come and acknowledge the pieces of yourself you’re reclaiming.
And it’s also a moment to recognize the unfolding chapter of Chase Purpose Inspires, as it continues to evolve and grow right alongside you.
Stay tuned — next, we shift from rekindled joy to grounding clarity.
🪞 Moment of Reflection
How can you make space for fun, curiosity, and joy in your life long after the decorations come down?
