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Natural Awakenings Twin Cities

Choose to Make the Holidays Delightful

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For many, the holidays are as much a time for stress and disappointment as they are a time for fun, family and gratitude. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the obligations and responsibilities that make all the merriment a lot less merry. This year you can choose to make the holidays delightful. You get to choose what delightful looks like, and through a few simple and consistent actions, see your creation made manifest in your life.

The first step, and perhaps the most challenging, is finding the willingness to let go of expectations of self and others. There is a saying in many 12-step rooms that addresses this: “Expectations are resentments in the making.” When you let go of expectations, you are also letting go of any disappointment that may follow. When there is no disappointment, there is no resentment. It really is that simple.

Once you have decided to let go of expectations, consider picking up any or all of the following actions to channel your attention. These actions are designed to help create a holiday experience you will love!

  • Envision What You Want to Happen – Take time to envision how you want the holidays to go and how you want to feel throughout each experience. If you are going to be with family, envision everyone getting along, laughing and appreciating one another. Take time to feel how having your vision come true would actually feel and let that experience wash over you.
  • Actively Express Gratitude – The attitude of gratitude is a game changer. Actively share your gratitude with others every day. You will uplift others and, as a result, your spirits will be uplifted as well.
  • Deliberate Acts of Kindness – As a culture, we have embraced the idea of random acts of kindness, but sometimes we have it backwards. Random is a description of the receiver’s experience which should be unexpected, surprising and delightful. As for the giver, be deliberate in your commitment to kindness every day, in every way.
  • Own Your Happiness – Your happiness belongs to you. When you own your happy, you are empowered to make the necessary changes to your experience to improve your own levels of joy and satisfaction. No longer do you need others to make it right for you—you can make it right for you.
  • Be of Service – Sometimes, despite all you do, things still don’t go the way you wish. Whenever you find yourself in a place of frustration, irritation or disappointment, find one action you can take to be of service. That may mean choosing to wash the dishes, drive grandma home or offering to run to the store for some forgotten item. Your action, no matter how little you want to do it, will help shift your energy from self-ish to self-less and expand your capacity for happiness in any situation.

With a few simple actions this holiday season, you can make any situation more delightful. You will feel better, your family and friends will enjoy you more and you will discover the real gifts of the season.

Nea Clare is a channel of divine wisdom, spiritual intuitive and transformational life coach who works directly with the Archangels and Ascended Masters in sharing messages, developing workshops and providing clarity for her clients. She helps her clients to awaken to their own divine nature by removing emotional, mental, spiritual and karmic blocks. For more information, visit NeaClare.com.