Happy New Year and welcome to Carnival of Healing #119: It is Time. This Carnival is a weekly round-up of personal blog posts on the topics of holistic health, wellness, spirituality, and self-empowerment.

I'm happy to host the first Carnival of Healing in 2008. In the spirit of New Year, and kind of following the thread Daylle did in last week's carnival, I am organizing this week's submissions in a similar way.

While most people make New Year's Resolutions every year, I much prefer to set New Year's Intentions. To me, resolutions just sound like a declaration of willpower, which implies resistance and struggle. On the other hand, setting intentions and sending them out to the Universe raise your awareness and vibrational level, allow you to be detached from the outcome while allowing the Universe to do its part. It lets you embark on a new year from a more positive energy field.

Also, I firmly believe that commitment and action are crucial in achieving any goals, and the time to take action is NOW. If you were to make a declaration, make one with specific action that you will start NOW.

It is time to take action.

So, here's the round-up for this week's Carnival of Healing.

It is time to ask for what you want.
Alex Blackwell presents Ask for What You Want posted at The Next 45 Years. So often we try to explain or justify our wants or feel guilty for our desires because we don't feel that we deserve it. The truth is, to get what you want, you first have to ask for it with unwavering belief that you will get what you want. Alex challenges the readers to write up what they really want and meditate on it everyday.


It is time to give yourself permission.
Following a similar theme, Tui Bijoux presents mental mosaic » Write Yourself a Permission Slip posted at mental mosaic. If you are stuck by limiting beliefs such as "I'm not worthy" or "I don't deserve it", Tui shares a simple way to create a "Cosmic Permission Slip", so you can have the permission to do whatever you want.


It is time to have faith.
Lorraine Cohen presents Five Important Questions To Ask When Your Faith is Shaky posted at Powerfull Living. She shares 5 empowering questions and 3 actions you can take to shift from fear into faith.


It is time to make a change.
The only constant in life is change, yet it's something that so many people resist and struggle with. Roger presents More Changes posted at The Happy and Prosperous Blog. He shares many good ideas. I like the idea of consciously choosing to make small changes in everyday life. This helps you practice and appreciate changes, and we all know that practice makes perfect. :-)


It is time to be enthusiastic.
Henry Ford said that "Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas". Louise Manning stresses the importance of enthusiasm and shares some criteria to help you measure how enthusiastic you are, posted at The Human Imprint.


It is time to honor your feelings.
David B. Bohl thinks as a culture, we (Americans) tend to try too hard to avoid sadness at all costs, and that’s a very serious mistake. I agree with him. When you suffer a loss, acknowledging your feelings is crucial in the grieving process. Denial only prolongs the process and you run the risk of not recovering and not being able to really move on. Read his post to see why Sadness Isn't All Bad: Dealing with Loss posted at Slow Down Fast Today!.


It is time to forgive.
Do you hold grudges or resentment toward others? Have you done things you regret and cannot forgive yourself for it? It's hard to move forward and attract what you want in life, when you are holding on to the hurt, anger and resentment from the past. In her 3rd post on forgiveness, Akemi explains the relationships between Forgiveness and the Law of Attraction posted at Gratitude Magic.


It is time to start anew.
New Year is a good time to review your accomplishments, decide what to let go, and set new intentions about what you would like to be, do and have in the coming year. I've written about the steps you can take in Releasing the Old and Starting Anew, posted here at Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul.


It is time to show compassion.
Matthew Spears examines the importance of compassion and acceptance as related to the family of the child that survived abuse. He wrote, "Often it is the non-acceptance of the abuse which adds incredibly to the trauma of the experience. This looks at what compassion is, and how it applies in loving a child that survived abuse". Read his thoughts in The essence of compassion part 2 posted at Loving Awareness.


It is time to slow down.
Shirley explains Why Winter is a Good Time to Slow Down. posted at Fun Spirit. She wrote, 'With the early nights, cloudy weather and chill in the air, it’s a perfect opportunity to relax in the warmth and security of your home while you evaluate your life. Use this extra time indoors to do more inner reflection. Start a new activity like journaling, meditation, Yoga, or another stress-relieving activity. Eliminate any unnecessary commitments and take a “winter break.”'


It is time to de-clutter.
In Feng Shui and Clutter, Pat B. Doyle tells us to get rid of negative energy in our homes by getting rid of clutter, posted at Barton Pond Feng Shui.


It is time to get out of bed.
Do you hate getting out of bed in the morning? Me too. Werelax shares some tips to overcome The Stress of Getting Out of Bed posted at Where We Relax.


It is time to laugh.
Humor and laughter are important to your emotional health. Madeleine Begun Kane presents Annoying Advice Poetry Prompt (Limerick and Haiku Prompt 1) posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog. Her poetry is definitely fun to read and her "annoying advice" is actually good advice for anyone who likes to "bitch, flinch, or whine".


It is time to think outside-the-box.
Ron Ruiz shares an interesting business idea in Can You Sell Sleep? posted at The Business Ideas-Making Money Blog.


It is time to be healthy.
Health is a priority that many people tend to sacrifice first when they get busy or stressed. Why not set an intention to make this your top priority this year?

There are several posts that give you great advice, tips, and yummy recipes for creating healthy diet and life style.

Carey Yang wrote a very informative post on antioxidants -- Experience the #1 Antioxidant Power to Fortify, Replenish and Rejuvenate Your Body posted at Your Dream Body WorkoutXpert.

Lucynda Riley presents Handeling Cravings posted at A Public Diet.

Stanimir Sotirov shares 8 tips for an easy menopause posted at All About Your Body And Spirit.

Lucynda Riley presents Onions are Medicinal posted at Flower, Field, and Forest.

Stanimir Sotirov presents 13 tips for a healthy breakfast posted at All About Your Body And Spirit.

Eulalia De Souza presents Aura Recipe for Good Health posted at Rainbow Salad.

Andrew declared his personal weight loss goals in Project Weight Loss, and requested our support by leaving comments on his blog Personal Hack. So go over there to cheer him on.

Lucynda Riley presents Its not how much were eating its what were eating. posted at A Public Diet.

Andrew Michaels argues that the link between cancer and sun exposure is ridiculous, and states that the sun is one of the most important aspects of health, in Helios Or Bust: Forget Cancer, The Sun Is The Cornerstone Of Life posted at Lifecrafting.

Aparna urges us not to give up daily exercise while you have a cold, in Common cold is so very common in winter posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming.

Isabelle Boulay warns us that Restless Leg Syndrome Doubles Risk of Cardiovascular Disease posted at Medopdedia.

Lucynda Riley presents a yummy Ham Bone Soup recipe posted at A Public Diet.


It is time to see clearly.
Raymond did a detailed report of his personal experience and thoughts about Laser Vision Correction, and offered pros & cons to consider before you make a decision on the surgery, posted at Money Blue Book.

LuluGal also shares her LASIK Eye Surgery - My Experiences - Day 1 posted at How I Save Money.net.


This concludes this week's Carnival of Healing. A heartfelt Thank You to everyone who participated in this week's Carnival. You can find last week's carnival at Lessons from a Recovering Doormat. Next week the Carnival of Healing will be at Good Advice. Don't forget to submit your post.

Until next time, please take good care of yourself. You are irreplaceable.

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Labels: awareness, Blog Carnivals, Carnival of Healing, commitment, compassion, conscious choice, empowerment, healing, health, making changes, New Year Resolutions