LIVINGwell


by Donna Burick


Make Your Holidays Magical “Christmas


renews our youth by stirring our wonder.


The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant


human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion.” ~ Ralph W. Sockman


I do believe that it can be the end of your old world. Now is a perfect time to step out of your old patterns and step into a new world filled with fun, abundance, joy and love. One of the best ways to do that is to lighten up!


W


Blessed are the Children… For some reason as we age we seem


to lose the play gene. Just spend any time around a group of children; as they play together they go through lots of stages, even conflict, but they always get back to center because their need to be happy is much more powerful than their need to be right. It is a great lesson for us all. So this holiday season why not ask


yourself, “If this was my last December, how would I like to live it?” And I suspect the answer would be some version of hav- ing more fun. So in the spirit of play, we are going to craft some fantasy/imagination games you can play this season to make your life more fun. Our level of fun lies in our ability to


tap into our imagination. Using this tool effectively can transform almost any situ- ation into one that amuses us rather than annoys or upsets us. So get ready to flex your pretend muscles as we dive into a world colored by make-believe. Holiday stressors abound, but I am


going to use the most tried and true one, the big family dinner, as an example of


ell, here we finally are, Decem- ber 2012. While I do not be- lieve it is the end of the world,


how you can employ your imagination to change your experience. Here are three scenarios to explain this process:


You’re Going to the Family Dinner Wearing a Magic Coat Perhaps every time you get around


your Mom she is critical of you, so of course you dread the family dinner. You know you will have hours of her comments chipping away at your choices, your hair, your relationship status, etc. Well, this year go to dinner wearing a magic coat. Before you get to the event pretend you are step- ping into a full body magic coat. Not a coat of invisibility, but rather a coat of protection. Zip up your coat knowing that it will be an absolute barrier between you and your Mom’s negativity. Only her love and acceptance can come through. Every- thing else bounces off of you as if you were covered in rubber.


Turn People into Animals Maybe at your family gathering your


brother and your Dad always get into a fight and it is very stressful for you. Instead of suffering through, imagine them as whichever animal they remind you of. As they get into their discussion, see them as the two animals, not fighting but rather squawking and barking at each other. Amuse yourself with the sight of two dif- ferent species of animals trying to com- municate. This will disengage you from the stress and allow you to have a fun, wonder- ful holiday dinner.


Pull an Alice in Wonderland, but Instead of Growing Big Shrink Everyone Else If your stressor is the big family dinner


table where everyone is bickering or com- plaining, then pull out a mental magic wand and shrink everyone to about 10 years old. See them with bows in their hair and their short pants on, just as if they were children. From this perspective you can look at them with such compassion; after all, what pain and suffering these little children must feel to be this miserable as adults. By being able to change your per- spective you can interact with them from a grownup vantage point.


The Recipe for a Magical Holiday Season Locate a stressor you have. Then imag-


ine you have a magic wand or a spell book or magic tools and create a solution that works for you. Play with it until it feels right and go have fun.


December 2012 can be the end of


your old patterns. Step into 2013 with an attitude of playfulness and excitement. Start early now and avoid the holiday rush!


Are you looking to move forward in your life? Donna can help. She custom blends her holistic life coaching with powerful energy therapies to create quick, lasting shifts. Call her today ay 336-540-0088. Visit her webiste, donnaburick.com. Email donna@donnaburick.com for more infor- mation. See ad on page 22.


“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold,


everything is softer and more beautiful.” Norman Vincent Peale


30 NaturalTriad.com


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