Starting Your Own Traditions: A THX Reflection on Rebirth, Courage, and Creating What Comes Next
From the THX Series Hub: THX Reflections & Personal Essays
Not everyone inherits a tradition they want to keep.
Some were painful.
Some were full of pretense.
Some were beautiful, but belonged to a “we” that no longer exists.
So what do you do when the holiday comes around—and you’re the one holding the empty table, the quiet house, the life-in-progress?
You begin again.
Not all at once. Not perfectly. But honestly.
This is your invitation to build something new.
The 12 Utilities of a Tradition Made Your Way
As you craft a tradition that fits your season of life, your values, your needs—consider how each dimension of experience can serve you:
Availability: Make it doable. Not extravagant. What do you have time and energy for?
Access: Make it simple. Light a candle. Make a single dish. Put on music that soothes.
Security: Make it safe. No toxic calls. No forced nostalgia. Just presence.
Clarity: Choose one intention. “I want peace.” “I want joy.” “I want to honor who I’m becoming.”
Ease of Use: Don’t overcomplicate. Paper plates count. So does sitting on the couch in pajamas.
Emotion Evoked: What do you want to feel? Then build one tiny action toward it.
Value: Even if no one else sees it, your tradition matters because it’s yours.
Traditions don’t need approval to be valid. They need truth.
Creating New PERMAH: Moments That Matter
New traditions are scaffolding for a new life. They begin as small acts of agency and grow into anchors of identity. Here’s how:
Positive Emotion: Try something that sparks joy—even if it’s weird, quiet, or just for you.
Engagement: Get into the flow—writing, baking, building, walking, creating something with your hands.
Relationships: Maybe it’s just you and your dog this year. Or a friend who becomes chosen family. That counts.
Meaning: Choose a ritual that reflects who you are now—not who you used to be.
Achievement: You are doing this. You’re not waiting for someone else to give you a life. You’re building it.
Health & Wellbeing: You’re honoring your body, your boundaries, and your needs.
You Are Worthy of Admiration
Starting over is one of the hardest—and holiest—things a person can do. If no one has said this to you, let us say it now:
You show skill in every decision you make to care for yourself without a script.
You show goodness in your refusal to perpetuate what harmed you.
You evoke awe by choosing creation over collapse.
You deserve gratitude—from yourself most of all—for not giving up.
A Simple Prompt for Today
If no one else was watching, what would you do today to make meaning for yourself?
Do that.
A new tradition begins not when it's perfect, but when it's yours.
Quick Links
🌷 When Tradition Nourishes
For those finding joy, meaning, or connection in rituals old and new.
Explore how tradition offers security, closure, and awe through the THX frameworks. Discover how the simple act of showing up can become transformational.
🌑 When Holidays Hurt
For those navigating grief, trauma, or complicated feelings this season.
This reflection honors the reality that holy days can reopen wounds. Through the lens of the 12 Utilities and PERMAH, we explore how small acts of agency, peace, and self-kindness can help you make it through—and maybe even grow.
🔥 When You’re Starting Something New
For those building their own rituals—by choice or necessity.
Whether you’re newly on your own, reclaiming your voice, or creating meaning from scratch, this post walks you through how to craft traditions that feel true using the THX frameworks and the deep emotional ROI of the Admiration Equation.