Review Of The Holidays

A SEASONAL SHIFT IN ATTITUDES

Dear Friends

I cannot think of a more appropriate time to shift attitudes about our emotions than the Holiday Seasons. I often see myself and others struggling during this awesome time trying to "come to terms" with their emotional selves. The emotional ghosts of Holidays past have a way of coming out at Halloween and staying around until after the New Year; sometime lagging on until Valentine's Day. That puts everyone into a "heap of feelings" for nearly four months.

Emotional roller coasters can often show their challenging rides just when there are demands to be so together, upbeat, generous, loving, and peaceful. This is especially difficult if the Season is also the anniversary of the death of a loved one, a breakup of a relationship or marriage, the loss of a job, or maybe memories of physical or sexual abuse which statistically increases dramatically during the Holidays.

Charles Dickens's immortal Christmas Carol (of which there are countless renditions) really shows graphically how deeply intense the emotional and spiritual expressions are while we are being pressured to grip the reality of past, present, and future scenarios of unresolved feelings.
Not wanting to sound myself like "Scrooge", I would say this is why the Holidays are a wonderful time for a shift in attitudes which then allows you and I to begin creating new emotions, new realities and new memories.

I do this by making a list of all the beautiful aspects about Christmas and New Years (it is also my birthday) that I love. For me, this includes the music, the color, the decorating, giving and receiving gifts, recognizing the traditions and the legends of the birth of Jesus Christ, the outpouring of charity, surprises from friends and family, plays and concerts, the Nutcracker ballet, lights everywhere, Christmas movies, Angels ( both heavenly and earthly), great food and treats, the Rose Bowl Parade ( a block from our home), winter flowers with pine tress and the smell of snow.

This time of year is just so full of sensory abundance and the opportunity to share, that I take my list and everyday of the season, I find one thing from this list that I can do and that I can enjoy. With this action, I create a new memory for my future Holidays. It is like this bank I now can draw on when the Holidays come again.

So this is my Holiday Review: My shift in attitude to go from regrets, loss, sadness and rejection to one of love, beauty, peace, joy, and hope for all this goodness to reach out and touch everyone in my world. I hope this helps and if you need someone to talk to, you can call me at 1-626-796-8605. I wish you all blessings of a happy heart and a Destiny Bright for the New Year of 2008.

Much love,
Amber