*Sent to the [[Thyself.ai]] email list on [[2024-12-24]]* --- *Looking for a last-minute gift idea? [Give the gift of compassionate self-reflection](https://app.thyself.ai/gift): a month of free unlimited access to Thyself. Only $20 with the code FRIENDS20.* The vision of the future that I believe in, and want to contribute to with Thyself, is one in which people use AI not to replace human relationships, but to heal and deepen them. We're not meant to be isolated individuals, separated from each other by technology and media. We can practice being more available for each other, less caught up in triggers and projections of past hurts, more loving and present. The goal of inner work, AI-assisted or not, isn't to retreat from the world. It's to bring more balance and clarity to that part of the world that is always with us, our own body-mind. As this develops, so does our ability to relate to others in a generous and skillful way. That this is even worth saying shows how we've come full circle as a society. Internal Family Systems is called "Internal" because before it there were Family Systems approaches, which focused on how family relationships created psychological conditions for individuals. And now we also work in the opposite direction, "inside out". Working in the field lab of your inner world, you learn that deep shifts always start with compassionate listening, with love and acceptance. As you integrate your parts under the guidance of your wise self, you naturally see more ways to do the same with others, whether with friends, family, or coworkers. "No bad parts" means: there's something precious that each part and each person has to offer you, however challenging their behavior might be. May you have both the discernment to appreciate what is offered and the conviction to stand up for what you need. And may your days be full of wisdom, ease, and joy, through the close of this year and into the next. Lawrence Team Thyself