This has been a difficult year for families as so many have been hit with job losses and tough economic times.

The stress around the holidays is even more magnified, but it doesn't have to be so, according to Veronica Karaman, who says she has found a proven strategy to creating fresh family connections - and meaningful holidays regardless of what the economy is doing.

"I've been using a five-step simple strategy to creating fresh family joy for years, and it still works, even now," she says.

Karaman is offering her family relationship building workshop, "Creating Shots of Joy: Five Secrets to Turning Strife-filled Family Dynamics into Fresh Family Connections," at Penick Village Sunday, Dec. 2, from 1 to 6 p.m.

Karaman, golf professional and certified life-coach, has the secret to generating fresh family connections and evaporating holiday dread. She says the key is all in "creating a shot of joy."

Using golf metaphors, Karaman explains her transforming approach to relationships:

"In golf, I've discovered that someone who can't break 100 never takes dead aim on a target. They just want to hit it somewhere in the direction of forward - and for some, just make contact! But if you want to play a great game and truly score, you have to pick a definite target and then align yourself to that target.

"The same is true for making a great connection with your family. So many just "hope" that something will be different this Christmas, but the family ruts are so deep that you just get in them one more time, and nothing ever changes. The key to experiencing something new is to DO something new.

"We don't have the power to fix people, but we do have the power to create something brand new, right now. All you have to do is set up one shot of joy where you take a specific aim on what kind of fresh connection you want to make with your family. I coach people on how to set up that specific, new intentional invitation to a loved one without thought of the outcome. The results can be amazing!"

The workshop will be held in the Grand Hall at Penick Village. Registration is free and open to the community. A free-will offering will be taken at the event to support the nonprofit outreach.

Register by calling Penick Village at (910) 692-0300.

Karaman is the founder of True Champion Coaching, a local performance coaching practice and the founder of VKM Inc., a nonprofit ministry dedicated to inspiring champions of the heart. She is the creator of the Nursing Home U.S. Open and the Shots of Joy Relationship Building workshop. For information, contact her at veronica@truechampion coaching.com.