When traditions you normally do, need to be done. 

Stress: \ ˈstres. to subject to physical or psychological stress. 

Holidays. These events can evoke many emotions and provide new stress levels in our work and life. From additional events in the evening to navigating students (and adults) feelings at work, the layers of complexity seem to increase the closer to a holiday or upcoming break from the daily routine. 

Stress is unavoidable. There are times when stress can be helpful and other times stress can be harmful. The work of becoming a #PrincipalinBalance starts with identifying stress, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The weeks leading up to December 23rd are happy and hard. Exciting and exhausting. Because on December 23rd, 2011, I walked out of the International Terminal of the Minneapolis Airport with an incredible almost five-year-old after a week together in Ethiopia. Because of that important event in our family and our lives, December brings a lot of conflicting emotions for our family. 

It may not be an Adoption Day, but a loss that is felt more deeply in a season. A change in relationship status that seems bigger on certain days than others. 

It is important to have stress,

and to identify how to stabilize life

when stress is no longer optimal,

but out of control.

Cabeen, Principal in Balance (2023)

For our family, stabilizing life in this season means changing how we celebrate the holidays. Instead of American Football this season, we spent our weekends watching the World Cup. We stick to our routine, get plenty of sleep, and increase our time with our family therapist. We have learned to incorporate cultural traditions, food, and extended family in our holidays to celebrate our son’s Ethiopian identity. 

On December 23rd, we celebrate a different type of birthday celebration, for our family’s Adoption Day is as important as any other holiday. But instead of having unmet or unrealistic expectations of the day-we, wait to see what bandwidth we have for activities and events on that day and celebrate every year we spend as a family of four. 

So as you enter a season of stress, give yourself a hall pass on unrealistic expectations and take time to reflect on the following: 

What has to go,
in order for you to grow?

Cabeen, Principal in Balance (2023)

..when you live well, you lead well.

Jessica. 

Additional Resources:

 BONUS Episode:In AWE of Jessica Cabeen-Adoption Celebration

 When You Can’t Leave It In Your Car Playlist 

Principal in Balance is now available for preorder! Get your copy: https://amzn.to/3S5JKME or https://bit.ly/BNPrincipalinBalance…