So how did you get on with your list? The 10 things you love and the 10 things you hate about Christmas?

I started this blog about going on a journey to ‘find’ my Big Peace in 2007 and interviewed lots of gurus on how we could find
that illusive inner peace.

One of the brilliant experts I spoke to – and have since met and worked with – was John Parkin, author of F**k It!

No, I’m not cursing! F**k It! is an inspiring and anarchic book, published by Hay House, based on ancient philosophy of Chi Kung and Taoism, which is about flowing where life is taking you versus trying to control it.

(John said F**k It to his life and job in London in 2004 and left with his wife and one year old twins in tow in their camper van and set up the holistic centre The Hill That Breathes in Italy, he realized that saying Fuck It can truly transform your life forever.)

John helped me make one of my first rather profound shifts on my journey to peace. Why? I was one of the ‘positive thinking’ brigade – I was always trying to look on the bright side, trying to ‘re-frame’ my thoughts, and be ra-ra-ra.

But more often than not, I just felt exhausted.

“Stop clinging to how you want things to be and try letting go – of your ideas, beliefs and expectations. Accept life for what it is,” John said. “Stop moaning and simply say Fuck It and accept life in all its wonderful, stressful, lonely, awful, delightful ways. The truth is there’s not a lot you can do about most of it.”

For a self-improvement junkie, like myself, this was one of the most refreshing things I’d ever heard.

And profoundly shifted things for me. The F**k It phrase is one that I now use often and with delight.

So Day 2 of the Big Peace at Christmas, look at your list of the 10 hates/loves about Christmas and just accept both sides of the coin.

Accept that you may have great times and also awful times this Christmas and just say “F**k it!”.

(P.S I interviewed John last year for Red magazine on how to have a happy Christmas and he said there were 5 steps:  “Firstly, you need to relax (step 1 of the F**k It Christmas), then work out what makes you happy (step 2) and then tell the truth about what you want (step 3), let go of your high expectations (step 4) And then accept your Christmas/life/others just as they are (step 5).

And the main thing is to remember that there is not much you can do about making other people happy. That’s their responsibility.
Make yourself happy.”)

John’s new book The F**k It way: The Modern Way to Transform YourLife (Hay House, £6.99) has just been published.

Have a good F**k it day!

Suzy x