One of my favorite things this holiday season is to take my daily walk right around sunset to see the festive holiday lights in my neighborhood. While I’m walking, I recall my childhood and the magic I felt in the air as Christmas approached. If I’m being honest, I’ve felt anything but magical this year. From one search to another to regain my joie de vivre, I’ve been on quite the journey. I’ve consulted with doctors, gurus, coaches, and therapists. I’ve spent money on programs, supplements, and medicines in the name of restoring my health. I’ve upleveled my wardrobe, my environment, my attitude, my spending habits, and my relationships. Still. There’s this underlying “funk” that just won’t budge.
Push. Strive. Achieve. Create S.M.A.R.T goals. Define your rocks (if you know, you know!) You should follow this way. No, you should follow that way. Your way isn’t working. Voices. So many voices. I’m drowning in noise. I can’t hear myself think. And I’m so drained – even though my mental cup is overflowing. I feel like a grown-up version of Alice in Wonderland, and I’ve had enough of this rabbit hole.
So here’s what I did on December 1: I stopped. I abandoned everything that called for more, more, and MORE. I allowed myself to rest and do nothing. I enjoyed the exact opposite of what our materialistic and achievement worshiping culture often demands. I needed to make space to just be me, but not the version of me in my head. I needed to take time to feel instead of think. I moved my body gently, I started listening to music again, and I found positive reading material to replace my daily social media scrolling.
I’m three weeks in to this slower, more gentle version of me, and I notice a change already. I am becoming more aware of the beauty, the signs all around me, and the love I’ve been forgetting to fully express while I’ve been lost in my mind. My Christmas wish for you is that you will experience peace, love, contentment, or whatever it is YOU need this holiday season. And if you’re anything like me, you may have found the world difficult to manage the past few years. If that is the case, then I have an extra special grown-up Christmas wish especially for you, dear friend.
Here’s a beautiful affirmation from Louise Hay that you can use to restore your hope in the world and get your own light shining brightly once again.
Envision a world where everyone has dignity, where everyone, no matter what race or nationality, feels empowered and secure. See children everywhere being treasured and valued as all child abuse disappears. See schools using their precious time to teach children important things like how to love themselves, how to have relationships, how to be parents, how to handle money and be secure financially. Then see all the sick people being made well again, disease becoming a thing of the past as doctors learn to keep people healthy and vital.
Envision all the homeless taken care of and jobs available for everyone who wants to work. See prisons building self-worth and self-esteem in guards and prisoners alike, releasing responsible citizens who love life. See churches removing sin and guilt from their teaching and supporting their members in expressing their divine magnificence and finding their highest good. See governments really caring about the people, with justice and mercy available to all. See honesty and fairness returning to all businesses as greed becomes unknown. See men and women empowering one another to live in dignity as all acts of violence are eliminated. See pure water and nourishing food and clear air being the norm for all of us.
All over the world, see everyone enjoying peace and plenty, with harmony among all people.
The full text can be found in Louise Hay’s book, Mirror Work.
Happy Holidays, and Shine On,
Diane
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