“No is a complete sentence.” -Anne Lamont The holidays are A LOT, 2020 is A LOT, family (year-round) is A LOT. The conversation around boundaries and self-love/care has been coming up again and again so I knew we have to bring it to the T&T mic.  I am pumped for today’s conversation with my good friend and boundary PRO, Clare Sorbon. Clare is a former D1 athlete, corporate professional, one of 5 siblings, and all-around varsity human. This year has been a year of its own, but the holidays in general are very stressful and filled with pressure and expectation. I wanted to unpack why we commit so hard to these traditions if it is so much hard work and likely not that healthy for us? We don’t need one more thing working against us in 2020, ha. Clare and I discuss family, tradition, and the evolving process of continued self-reflection/growth it takes to keep these things that mean so much to us in positive light and experience. We discuss the importance of space, grace, and self-protection. It’s ok to take a holiday off or use your voice and say a relationship or situation is no longer severing you (family, friends, career etc). We agree that family is the most important thing, hence all the more reason to have the tough conversation and understanding that while things are changing and we are evolving, we all need to protect our own magic for the greater good and we need to step back when we need to step back. Clare and I cover questions you should ask yourself when deciding if relationship/situation is serving you or not, the importance of core values and knowing your true self,  and working to universally understand that each person’s experience is different- even when you’re related. The holidays are a joyous time, let’s work to keep it that way, even if it means evolving some of these traditions and rules that we cling so tightly to- change is a good thing!!   Highlights: Evolution, self-love, and boundaries. Knowing when to cut ties and protect yourself, your heart, and your magic. The holidays, tradition, expectation, and change. Space and grace and balancing it all. Family, friends, perspective, and the hard cut off. Questioning a better way. Hard choices to make a good long-term decision (for all).   Clare Sobon: Clare Sobon serves as the Development Officer at Denver Contemporary Art Museum. Before taking a dive into the art world, she competed as a student-athlete thrower at Belmont University. She hails from New Jersey, where she and her large family of 7 built roots as a culturally mixed family in a very diverse region of central jersey. As a fundraiser she has found that an individual relationship with healthy boundaries and measured expectations can be the exact combination to help better boost relationships and settle family ties.    @finna_bclare @mca_denver   Connect with T&T: IG: @TurmericTequila Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com   Host: Kristen Olson IG: @Madonnashero Tik Tok: @Madonnashero Email: Info@KOAlliance.com Website: www.KOAlliance.com