"The greatest gift is a portion of thyself." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's hard to believe that Christmas is only three days away and 2008 is coming to an end. Wow, where did the time go?!!!

I know you must be busy getting ready for the holiday celebrations. Some of you might even be flat-out overwhelmed and stressed out by now. Amidst the hustles and bustles, I hope you don't lose sight of the meaning of the holidays and what's most important to YOU.

What are your holiday dreams? What are your favorite holiday traditions and memories? What are you most looking forward to? If you're pressed for time, or feeling overwhelmed, why not focus on just one or two of these traditions, and choose to streamline (read: skip) the others. Yes, you have my permission to simplify and skip anything you choose to. But more importantly, you need to give yourself permission to do so. After all, nobody benefits from you having a (near) breakdown during the holidays! I'm sure your family will enjoy the holidays so much more with a happier YOU around.

How about the endless gift-giving? The other day at a meeting, someone shared that she is not doing any holiday shopping this year. Her gift for her family is, get this, her presence. Instead of buying gifts, she took a trip back home to visit all her family and friends in her hometown. Isn't that beautiful? I've always said that the BEST gift parents can give their children is their time, undivided attention, and unconditional love. If you feel like you are "forced" to spend either the time you don't have, or the money you don't have to buy the holiday gifts, I encourage you to think outside the box about gift-giving. For example, give a gift that your friends/family can experience -- new activities, classes, or outings. Or you can sign up to do something together. You are creating new memories, or even new traditions, that you will treasure for years to come.

Don't forget to take some time for YOU. Take a break whenever you need it. Make a point to take some quiet time during the holiday break, to review the events of the year, and set intentions for next year. What are the old beliefs and memories you are ready to let go, so you will have more joy, peace and success? What would you like to be, do, have in 2009? How do you plan on achieving them?

No matter what you wish for, I hope you put Intensive Self-Care as one of your top priorities. Some of you know that I've been writing a book on this subject. The book's title is Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul: 7 Keys to Nurture Yourself While Caring for Others. I'd like to give you a few sample chapters of the book, as my gift to you! Go now and download your copy!

http://budurl.com/icbook

I wish you and your family abundant JOY, LOVE and PEACE for this holiday season and beyond.... Peace on earth begins with peace within YOU. Happy New Year and a very healthy, successful, and prosperous 2009!

Blessings,
Hueina

Labels: abundance, conscious choice, holiday stress, holidays, inner peace, Intensive Self-Care, intention, Resources, self love, stress management