A Reminder on The Real Meaning of Christmas

 

Today’s episode is a simple pause in the middle of a full day. Christmas can feel busy and rushed, and it’s easy to move through the morning without slowing down long enough to remember why we celebrate it in the first place. This conversation brings you back to what matters so you can step into the day with peace instead of pressure.

We talk about the heart of Christmas, why presence matters more than perfection, and how small quiet moments often hold the most meaning. If this season feels emotional, complicated, or heavier than usual, this episode will help you breathe, soften, and feel grounded again.

Inside this episode, you will learn:

• Why Christmas has never been about creating the perfect moment
• How to release the pressure to pretend you feel a certain way
• What it looks like to notice the small moments that bring peace
• How to shift from performing joy to being present in your real life
• A grounding reminder of the love and hope Christmas represents
• A short prayer to help you move through the day with calm and gratitude

If this message felt grounding, you might also appreciate: Episode 498: The Gratitude Effect: How Thankfulness Transforms Us  


If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Transcript

 (0:00) Hey, hey, beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something (0:04) super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. (0:08) You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter.

(0:12) I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and (0:17) unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. (0:22) Let's get in.

Let's go. Hey, friend. Merry Christmas.

I am so grateful to be here with (0:35) for a few quiet moments today. Before you move on to the joy of the day, the family, the gifts, (0:41) the food, everything that comes with that, I want to slow down together. Christmas can arrive (0:45) quickly, right? We spend so much time preparing and planning and trying to make everything right (0:50) that the heart of today can just feel like it gets pushed to the background.

(0:54) So this is just a gentle reminder that Christmas has never been about achieving the perfect moment. (1:00) Christmas has always been about receiving the moment that was already given to us. (1:04) And today, I just want to take a moment to talk about the heart of Christmas, (1:08) because it's so easy to get swept up in the presents, the food, the decorations, (1:13) the gathering, and all the expectation that comes with the season.

And none of those things are bad. (1:18) They can be beautiful parts of the celebration, but they should not be the center, right? (1:22) The heart of Christmas is the reminder that light enters darkness, that hope is born in the places (1:28) that feel uncertain or heavy, right? Christmas is a story of God who chose to come into this world, (1:35) not through power or force or perfection, but through love, love in human form, (1:41) love that sat with people, love that healed, love that noticed, love that understood. (1:45) And that same love is here today with you and in you.

So if this season feels tender or complicated (1:51) or just a little heavier than you expected, I want you to hear this clearly, that Christmas (1:56) does not require you to be cheerful. You don't have to perform joy in order to honor this day. (2:03) You do not have to be the happy one or the strong one or the one that keeps everything together.

(2:07) Christmas is not asking you to pretend. It's inviting you to be still, to notice the small (2:13) things, a quiet morning before the house wakes up, a cup of coffee that feels warm in your hands, (2:18) a hug that lingers just a second longer, a memory that brings tears and comfort at the same time, (2:24) a sense of peace that doesn't even make logical sense, yet you feel it anyways. (2:29) Those moments, those are holy.

They are reminders that love has always been close, (2:34) even on the days when it feels far away. So today, instead of trying to create the perfect holiday, (2:41) see if you can simply be present with the one that is unfolding, right? Notice the light, (2:46) notice the love, notice the peace that comes in whispers, not in noise. That's Christmas.

(2:51) It's always been about presence, not performance. There is often pressure on Christmas to feel (2:58) magical and memorable and picture perfect, but in real presence, that rarely looks like a movie (3:04) scene. Presence feels more like noticing your own breath again.

It feels like remembering that (3:10) the people in the room are more important than the plan. It feels like being willing to pause (3:16) long enough to recognize that this moment is already enough. And even if it isn't flawless, (3:22) even if it's simple, you don't have to try to make today something extraordinary.

You can simply (3:27) let it be what it is and let yourself be in it. Sometimes the most meaningful moments are the (3:33) ones that we didn't curate or control. The quiet conversation in the kitchen, the moment of laughter (3:39) that you didn't plan, the soft memory that makes your heart ache in a way that reminds you of how (3:44) deeply you care.

These are the places where Christmas lives. Before the day ends, I want to (3:49) invite you to take one quiet moment, maybe that's before bed, maybe that's on a walk outside, and just (3:55) whisper, thank you. Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you for this breath. Thank you for this year, even the hard (4:02) parts. Thank you for the people who stayed, the lessons I learned, and the peace that found me (4:07) when I did not expect it.

That's the true heart of Christmas, gratitude that softens us, that grace (4:13) that holds us, and a faith that reminds us that we're always being guided. I would love to end (4:19) this episode with just a quick prayer. So if you could bow your head and pray with me and as we (4:24) honor today, God, thank you so much for being near, for bringing light into the places that feel dark (4:30) and hope into the spaces that feel heavy.

Help us to notice your presence in the small, quiet (4:36) moments today. Help us to soften where we're caring too much and open our hearts to the peace that you (4:42) always offer. I want your love to settle us in a way that is steady, gentle, and real.

And thank you, (4:49) Jesus, for sending your one and only son to be born today that we celebrate you. In Jesus' name, amen. (4:58) Lastly, I just want to return to the heart of what we shared, that Christmas asks us to slow down, (5:04) to notice the small moments that feel like peace, and to let ourselves be present to the love that (5:09) is already here.

Meaning is found in the pauses and the familiar voices around us, some unfamiliar, (5:15) in the quiet moments where we felt held. You are allowed to experience today exactly as you are, (5:22) and you're already included in the story that the day tells. If you loved this episode, I know you (5:29) also love episode 498, the gratitude effect, how thankfulness transforms us.

It is a gentle (5:35) reminder for the seasons when most things go different from what we expected. And as you step (5:41) into your routines in the days ahead, I just want to remind you that you don't have to navigate this (5:45) health or movement journey alone. By Moojulie Community, which is my demo-only workouts, (5:50) this was created to help you stay consistent in a way that feels realistic and supportive through (5:54) every season, including the busy and the emotional ones.

These workouts are structured so that you (5:59) always know what to do without pressure to push beyond what your body is ready for. And if you're (6:04) ready to nourish your body in a way that feels grounded and sustainable, that's exactly what we (6:09) walk through inside my Macro County Made Simple Online Academy. It helps you to understand how to (6:13) fuel your body with clarity instead of guesswork so that you can feel steady and supported from (6:18) the inside out.

I will place both of those links in the show notes below if you want to explore (6:22) them when the time feels right. For now, though, I just want to say thank you so much for spending a (6:27) few minutes with me on Christmas. I hope that your day has moments of warmth and softness and peace, (6:33) and that you remember what Christmas is truly about.

Merry Christmas. I love you so dang much, (6:38) I mean it, and I'll talk to you in the next one. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, (6:51) but I have two things that I need you to do.

First thing, if you are not already following (6:57) me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A. Ledbetter, yes, it's with an A in the middle, (7:01) for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to (7:07) keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts (7:12) to never miss an episode.

Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, (7:19) and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my (7:23) life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves.

(7:30) Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface, (7:34) so go out there and embrace a real, because you're worth it.

 
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