What do the holidays bring to your life? I know for me, it's memories. Some of the most fun and funniest memories I have are holiday memories. To understand this, you have to get a clear picture. Imagine this: My dad was the oldest boy of nine. If you were ever in a room with this bunch, you would fall off your chair laughing.

Tears would be streaming down your face. Your sides would hurt. I'm not even kidding. Imagine a bunch of VERY Italian brothers and their wives. You think Seinfeld was funny.... This was unscripted, unadulterated, side-splitting humor live, right before your eyes. The best part, no one was even trying to be funny.
image

Now picture this: I grew up in a very small house, and every year of my childhood my parents had a Christmas party. My siblings and I (there are four of us) and my entire extended family would cram into this house. If you know anything about Italians, then you know--we are talkers, we are eaters, and there WILL be drama.

But the best part, and the part where all my special memories came in, was our annual "talent show." Every year the kids would perform. There was singing, comedy skits, dancing--you name it. My aunts' and uncles' chairs would be crammed in the living room, the kids performed in the kitchen, and my dad would hold a brush as a microphone and MC.

So, I was literally performing since I was born. This is probably what led me to become a classical dancer, with years of dancing lessons under my belt. This is what helped me in my career to be so comfortable in front of a camera or a crowd. I even choreographed and was the lead dancer in my high school play, Annie Get Your Gun. People who have known me for years will reference my spitfire Annie Get Your Gun energy. If I were not so passionate about transforming people, dancing and choreography would have been my destiny. I truly believe it was that time I had performing in my kitchen at Christmas that sparked that love.

Everything you do leads to something else. Everyone you meet means something. Every memory you have leads to your next memory. Take some time and do this exercise: Backtrack. Think of what in your life helped you get to where you are today. Was it someone you met? Was it someplace you went? Take some time this holiday to "backtrack" and relish building your relationships and memories.

For me, I get to sit in the first row watching my kids and their cousins in this year's Christmas talent show as my brother MC's with a real microphone, and I will appreciate every moment and every memory.