| |
| |
|
Holidays Information |
|
|
|
LifeHealthInsurance.ca Ten Tips for a Real Holiday Season
Holidays and the start of a new year inevitably make us think about how we can improve ourselves, and have the life we want in the future. We make resolutions - I must lose weight, I will save more money - and then lose our way. That's because we aren't matching our resolutions with who we are inside. We're more likely to succeed if we work on discovering our inner, Real selves, appreciate who we already are, and then take a chance on custom-made changes, not one-size-fit all resolutions. Here are ten tips for making the new year better in a Real way. 1. Let your values be your guide -- There are plenty of people who will tell you what should be important to you, if you let them. Friends, co-workers, family, even the mass media, bombard us with opinions and ideas. Don't just accept what others say. Decide for yourself what matters most and let those values set your course. 2. Take a long-term view -- Bad habits, difficult relationships, and other disappointments don't develop overnight. Similarly, life doesn't get better in a moment. Change happens slowly, step-by-step. Have the patience to see it through. 3. Let Go of the "Shoulds" -- When you were a kid, you needed grown-ups to tell you what was right and wrong and what you should do in a given situation. As an adult you can make these choices for yourself. "Shoulds" produce resentment and anger. Instead, do what you know in your heart is right, and set your own standards. 4. Define Yourself as Beautiful -- Fewer than five percent of us believe we are beautiful, but whenever I meet someone, I can see something beautiful in her right away. You may not fit the mass media image of conventional, external beauty, but there are things that make you attractive. Remember, beauty is an inside job. 5. Let Go of Being Perfect -- As much as we hear that "nobody's perfect" it's awfully hard to believe. This is because what we constantly see in the media are air-brushed images of people who appear perfect and we come to believe it is a reasonable goal. When we fall short of perfect, then we feel like failures, just for being ourselves. This year, why not just forget that whole concept and replace it with "I don't have to be perfect." The truth is, the people who love you know that you have flaws and just don't care. You don't have to either... 6. Stop Competing -- Life is not a game to be won or lost. It is more like a dance that never ends. People who make life a competition live in fear of losing. But if you understand that there's no first prize and no finish line, only opportunities to grow and experience things, then that fear is replaced by appreciation and wonder. Try to think about growing rather than winning. 7. Try a Little Self-Empathy -- We all hope to be kind and considerate when it comes to others. But have you ever made an effort to think about yourself in the same way? Most of us spend too much time judging ourselves harshly. It's hard to be happy when you let that little voice inside you endlessly say mean and critical things. 8. Make Friends with Your Flaws -- When you stop believing in perfection, it's a lot easier to adopt a new view of those things people call flaws. In many cases, we can redefine these differences and understand them as gifts. What makes a mole a beauty mark? The answer is in your perspective. Why not adopt a perspective that honors all those things that make you different? 9. Listen to Your Body -- Many of us lead lives that are so fast-paced and stressful that we push ourselves to the point of getting sick. In most cases, our bodies send us signals -fatigue, aches, hungers - when it's time to slow down, rest and examine our emotions. We can avoid a lot of sick days if we pause to listen to our bodies and respond with gentle self-care. 10. Try New Things -- In the end, the important things in life are found in relationships and experiences. We feel good when we connect with others and take on challenges that allow us to grow. If you have always wanted to feel closer to someone you know, take the risk. And if you have longed to try something new - in the arts, your work, sports, or anything else -- give yourself permission to try. A little courage will bring you great rewards in the coming year. Toni Raiten-D'Antonio is a psychotherapist and author of The Velveteen Principles, a Guide to Becoming Real. The Velveteen Principles offers advice on reclaiming joy, fulfillment and individuality drawing from the simple wisdom of the children's classic The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. To Learn more, please visit http://www.velveteenprinciples.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Magical Plants of Christmas Most of the plants we associate with the holiday season are from Europe or the Mediterranean. We know the holly, ivy, mistletoe, christmas rose, rosemary, hawthorn, bay and of course, evergreens while the New World is represented in Christmas legend by the poinsettia. Some Valuable Steps On Applying Clown Makeup! Seriously, Were Not Clowning Around Here Who doesn't love being a clown? It's a great costume idea for both adults and children. It looks like a lot of work to do clown makeup, but it's actually quite easy. Keeping it Simple this Season It's back. The holiday season and all the challenges that come with it! This is the time when we are most tempted to overdo things - shopping, partying, spending. Great Gifts Under $5 Gift giving is at its absolute finest during the Christmas season. Putting smiles on children's faces, making an elderly person feel appreciated, rewarding a hardworking employee - the reasons for gift giving at Christmas are endless. Advantages of Online Greeting Cards Over Paper Cards - Part II So, let's review a little what we said in the first part of this. Greeting cards are a very popular item which people buy in high numbers. Colored Contacts For Halloween - Make Sure YOU Dont Go Bump In The Night! Ok, the end of October is approaching, and you desperately want some colored contacts for Halloween. Why? Well, possibly because no one else will have any, maybe because you like to go that extra yard when you dress up, or maybe you want to get your own back on one of the neighbours kids for frightening your cat. Saint Nick to Santa, the MOST extreme makeover? It's the holiday season, and the first thing that comes to so many minds is presents, and who better to deliver these presents than Jolly Saint Nick himself. Chris Cringle, Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, etc. Gift of the Month Clubs: The Lazy Mans Guide to Gift Giving If you are like me and are a very lousy shopper and always end up getting everyone the wrong gift at Christmas time, think about a Gift-of-the-Month Club. G. Creative Christmas Gifts Christmas is always the time of year we consider to be the best opportunity to give something special to someone and show how much we appreciate him or her. The mall is full of wonderful, shiny and delicious gifts and the Internet offers countless items that we can send to someone without ever seeing the product in person. Christmas and New Year Celebrations: How Significant? I remember vividly as if it were yesterday when I was only a little boy; I looked forward to Christmas and New Year holidays with an air of relief, satisfaction and relaxation. Relief, because I had the rare chance of putting a pause to the hectic and daily school schedule; satisfaction because it was a time to show off that cloth that 'daddy' bought for me and relaxation because I would go out with my family and friends to have a nice time. Mommy...Daddy...Is There Really A Santa Claus? Is there really a Santa Claus? Any parent who hasn't been faced with this question most likely will at some point. But how do you answer this? No one wants to crush a child's dreams of Santa and holiday magic. Cashless Gifts Sometimes gifts that are truly from your heart have no cash value. But the value to the recipient can be more than any amount of money could provide. Bathed in Blue - Love Can Happen for You Whether you know him by Eros or Cupid, this son of the Goddess Venus aka Aphrodite, has long been associated with Valentines Day. Cupid the cheeky cherub loves to play and delights in aiming his pointed arrows at unsuspecting victims. Birthday Gift Ideas Birthday celebrations date back as far as biblical times, when celebrations among Pharaohs and other significant individuals have been mentioned. There is even some evidence to suggest that in pagan cultures people feared that evil spirits lurked about an individual on their birthday because they tended to become more malicious around important events in one's life. Valentine's Day - Online Worship Gazing the wide stretched blue carpet, with blows of zephyrs whispering and blowing leaves away, is the best way to rest your mind from the day-to-day hassle. It's the time when every living thing seems to grow and is nourished by the augmentation of spring. Camping And The Right Kind Of Tent Campers all over the globe prefer to use tents in their camping trips. With so many different kinds of tents available in the market, it becomes very difficult to choose the type of tent which is suitable for your needs. Christmas Shopping Online Might Or Might Not Be For Everyone: This Article Shows How Doing It Onlin Christmas shopping online is not for you? If you are one of those that share this thought, you probably like to enjoy the atmosphere of physical shopping. Doing your Christmas shopping online despite all its convenience, lack the festive mood. Gifts: What Do You Give A Couch Potato? So you know someone who likes to "veg out" in front of the TV and you're looking for a gift for him or her. There are three ways you could go with your gift idea. Creative And Inexpensive Gift Ideas I have a friend who works at a loan company. She starts getting busy around August -- because her offices are flooded with people taking out loans for their holiday shopping. Free Christian Ecard and Christian Ecards A free Christian ecard is comprised of inspirational quotes, musical greetings, messages of love, get well soon, and a plethora of other familiar greeting card options free of charge. Family and holiday Christian ecards are also available.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
