Coming from our hearts and being present during the holidays sounds real good, but how do we walk the talk?
A major part of it all begins with accepting that all we have (i.e., our homes, jobs, loved ones, etc.) and who we really are (i.e., children of God/Source) is enough. Those who we love and want us in their lives accept us just as we are, rather than what we want to be or want to look like.
It also helps to have boundaries and to be aware our own mental and physical limitations.
A way to check in on making boundaries for ourselves and others is to check in with someone else, such as your partner if they are supportive in helping you come more from your heart, or maybe a good friend who is on a path similar to your own. Talk to them about your plans and expectations before you jump into the fray of holiday activities.
Staying present will look like this: if you’re cooking, then that’s all you’re doing. Focus on what you’re preparing and what it takes to do just that particular thing, rather than on multi-tasking. Of course, we all have to multi-task at times, but that is not being present and I guarantee that when you multi-task, you are not in your heart, but in your head.
When we try to do more then what we can do, or maybe I should say when we do more then we can handle, that’s when we get angry, frustrated and/or even depressed. By the time we reach that point, we are already disconnected from our heart and are usually in pain and, maybe, even causing pain to others in some way.
I don’t know anybody who takes pleasure being in this state. So if this happens, it’s time to stop and look back to the point at which you started to put yourself out of balance. More times than not, we know exactly when it was. In fact, we did have some sort of “warning,” but just pushed it aside and did what we “thought” we wanted or thought we had to do.
Be kind to yourself and others. Apologize to those you might have overreacted to, especially yourself. Forgive, learn, and move forward. It’s all part of the journey.
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