| |
| |
|
Holidays Information |
|
|
|
Ready to Skip This Holiday? Why No Just Make It Your Own?
Do you feel panicked, or exicted? Are you experiencing joy or depression? Do you have childlike visions of toys and celebration with the people you love? Or pressure, loneliness, alienation and annoying relatives? Sometimes we really can't help but ask "What is celebration? Do we really need it?" I can tell you there were times after my divorce and my daughter's death that I asked myself those questions. My kids had moved out. I was alone. Holidays were just painful reminders of the life I no longer had. So I worked. I worked long hours just to avoid the malls with all that chirpy pain-in-the-neck holiday merriment. Bah humbug. But the truth was, it hurt too much to celebrate. And I was the loser. But you know what? Celebration is a ritual of life. It gives us a set of patterns, symbols and actions that mark important events and transitions in our lives. Right now, we're about to celebrate the ending of one year and the beginning of the next. It's important to do that. It's important to mark these times in our lives. You might say "It's just another day." and that might be true. But there's also a spiritual reality at this time that we need to recognize if only to celebrate the incredible, wonderful miracle of you. "We can think of sacred ritual as the intersection of ordinary reality and spiritual reality. Ritual provides a safe framework, or container, for us to experience the sacred." Rachel Pollock - The Power of Ritual Over the years I've found a number of different rituals and practices that have given me that connection. That spiritual reality. None of them are time consuming or difficult. In fact, I can honestly say they restored my sense of joy and wonder. Releasing the past. This is the first step to recognizing endings and embracing beginnings. It doesn't mean we have to forget all that came before. It just means that we're releasing all the negative energy and stress from the past. When we take time to release the energy of disappointment or hurt, we open ourselves to forgiveness and love. Write out the name of any limiting feelings you may be having. It could be sadness, or guilt, or a feeling of lack. If there are a lot of them, put each on a separate piece of paper. Then take each one and burn it. Then the next, then the next, until they're all gone. You may throw them into a fireplace, or burn them over a candle. As you do, watch them go up in smoke, rising upward and leaving your heart. Feel the release. Isn't it wonderful? Invite new feelings to come in to take their place - love, sharing, friendship, creativity, or whatever you want more of in your life. You just created a vacuum, and nature rushes in to fill a vacuum. Make sure it is filled with all the good stuff you want in your life. Then seal the deal with another ritual. Celebrate each new feeling with a sip of a warm drink. Like hot cider. Or hot chocolate. Or mulled wine. Be sure you savor the taste and sensation as it warms and fills you. Know that these new qualities you are inviting into your life are now part of you and will grow with you in the coming year. Gratitude. During the season of giving and receiving, it is easy to get caught up in the material hustle. So ask yourself: why the gifts? When you stop and think about it, they don't have to be an obligation. A burden. If you choose to buy gifts, recognize they're just a human way of showing our love and care. They're an opportunity to show our gratitude for what comes to us. Think of other ways to express your deepest gratitude for all that you've been given. Allow yourself to notice it all around you, then honor it with thanks the moment it comes to you. This can be a game you can play by yourself or with others. Every time you smell a holiday scent, like cinnamon, turkey, evergreens or cider, think of a specific thing for which you are grateful. Or you may want to pick out holiday symbols, like snowmen, stars, angels, reindeer or Santa to trigger your sense of gratitude. Have fun coming up with ideas, and appreciating the rich symbolism we have during the holidays. Renewal. As you get ready for the New Year, start fresh by releasing whatever hold you may have on the past. Release any negative thoughts you may have or people who don't support your excellence and growth. Take time to acknowledge any darkness in your heart and replace it with light and possibility. You can honor yourself by making this the best holiday yet. Having learned from experience how to grow from adversity to outrageous fulfillment and abundance, Carole Hodges shares her expertise through workshops and private coaching. She works with adults ready to re-vision the second half of life. Learn about more holiday offerings at http://www.OutrageousChoice.com
MORE RESOURCES:
holidays - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Advantages of Online Greeting Cards Over Paper Cards - Part II So, let's review a little what we said in the first part of this. Greeting cards are a very popular item which people buy in high numbers. Find New And Exciting Halloween Masks For Your Next Costume Party! For most people that don't enjoy wearing messy makeup, Halloween masks are the next best option to complement your Halloween costumes this Halloween season.There is a Halloween mask existing in all-imaginable characters, and this year some brand new products are available online. A New Look at Labor Day A day to reflect on the accomplishments of working people: That's been the proud tradition since the first, unofficial, Labor Day back in 1882.But, one of labor's greatest accomplishments has gone largely unrecognized. Great Gifts Under $5 Gift giving is at its absolute finest during the Christmas season. Putting smiles on children's faces, making an elderly person feel appreciated, rewarding a hardworking employee - the reasons for gift giving at Christmas are endless. Valentines Day is NOT only for Lovers Some people hate to see Valentines Day come around. Some have ended relationships and feel lonely while others have not yet met that someone special. Corporate Holiday Gift Ideas Start With a Possibilities List Plan ahead this year for your corporate clients and associates holiday gifts.Now is the time to prepare for this year's corporate holiday gift ideas. A Thankful Thanksgiving You may be wondering why I would call this article a Thankful Thanksgiving. Aren't all Thanksgivings Thankful? Unfortunately, no. Kids Birthdays - How to Throw an Unforgettable Kids Birthday Party Kids take their birthdays very seriously, and are extremely disappointed if their birthday parties are anything short of spectacular. Throwing an unforgettable kids birthday party can sometimes seem like a task better suited for a professional event planner. Valentines Day - Where Did THAT Come From? Just as soon as the stores put away their Christmas merchandise, out comes the Valentine's Day items - even though Valentine's is still more than six weeks away.I don't know why, but it always takes me by surprise to see Valentine's Day merchandise so soon after Christmas. How to Host Thankgiving Dinner and Enjoy it Anyway You've been nominated; or perhaps your family has issued a decree; or perhaps it's simply your turn. No matter what the reason, you're hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. Lost and Found (A Valentines Day Story) I casually glanced down at my hand, but instead of a wedding ring and an engagement ring, there was only the narrow gold band."Randy!" I yelped. The Last Laugh: Parental Pranks for April 1 The exact origin of April Fool's Day is uncertain, but popular belief is that it began in France with the adoption of a new calendar. In 1582, the Gregorian calendar (still in use today) replaced the long-standing Julian calendar and New Year's celebrations were moved from April 1 to January 1. Top 20 New Years Quotations "Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold."-- Anonymous"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas. Greeting Card Tango: How To Impress, Not Stress, During The Holidays When it comes to holiday greeting cards, to send or not to send is often the question. Once you have decided in the affirmative, you then have to determine who to include on your list, what kind of card to choose and how to address the envelope. SALOME and HERODIAS, A Curious Mothers Day Story, Part 2 of 2 Parts First, a disclaimer:This article requires information about John the Baptist, whose life and works and words are holy, divinely inspired, to Christians. The sources I've accessed are religious, historical, literary, exegetic, and anecdotal. Christmas Lights Add Sparkle To The Holidays Electric Christmas lights have been around since the 1880's. It is no wonder they are still around and being enjoyed by so many. Jeweled Shamrock Pendant March 17th is St. Patrick's Day and according to tradition if you are not wearing at least a little something green you just might get pinched and why put yourself through that? Let's face it most of us do not look very good in green attire but, there are ways around this. The Thanksgiving Blessing "Wouldn't you just know it," muttered my husband, Randy.We had already been driving for a couple of hours in a pickup truck that we had borrowed from a friend, and now it was completely dark. The Origins of Mothers Day Most people mistakenly believe that Mother's Day is an invention of the greeting card manufacturers and flower shops - a cynical ploy to make the nation spend millions of dollars each year on greetings cards and flowers. However, the roots of the holiday are more elevated than this and go back much further, right back to the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Strategies for Surviving Holiday Dinners, Family Events and Other War Zones No matter how well we may have weathered our basic training, nothing can fully prepare us for the front lines of family gatherings. We're in the thick of it, dodging live ammunition, and fighting the urge to return to our old, reliable patterns that helped us to survive while we were growing up.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
