As you read this post the flurry of the holidays is not far from your thoughts, after all it is only mid January! Besides all the activity and fun that goes with the season, I often hear people say that they wish they could extend the spirit of Christmas throughout the year. They are right, this is the season when people try to understand each other more, and forgive the things that get in the way of extending love to one another. We pray for peace in our relationships and open heartiness as we let the miracles of Christmas happen in our own hearts.
What I have described is not something that is unattainable, far from it; it is within the reach of each one of us. We each have that ability live from our center and to shape our lives in a way that is in line with what we want for ourselves and the world around us.
Some of you may also be familiar with the Winter Solstice. This year it was on Dec. 21st and was the longest night of the year and signified a movement toward light. Ages ago, before we adopted our current calendar this was the time the New Year was celebrated. It signified a time of beginning & endings, rest, reflection and restoration, not only of our bodies but of our spirits.
So I would ask you on the breath of this New Year, what do you want for yourself this coming year? I’m not taking about resolutions or a wish list of material things like we are so used to doing. I am asking you to focus on your heart and ask yourself what you need for your spirit to be at peace and in harmony with your life. How will you let your own light shine and move you toward what your heart is longing for.
Both the Celebration of Christmas and the Winter Solstice serve to call us to our center where we can live out who God intended us to be; a bright light that serves as a beckon for all. Have you ever noticed how you can gently use your breath to blow on an ember to bring it to a full flame? The same happens with the light that is within us…when we hold grudges toward others, judge harshly and stand in our own righteousness, it only serves to extinguish the light within us. It does not give way to understanding, forgiveness, peace and love.
When you think about the coming year, what ideas, beliefs and attitudes would you like to leave behind? Make a simple list and as a way to let them go, you might want to burn them in the fireplace and watch them go up in smoke.
Then take time to reflect on what you would like to bring into your life. What attitudes and beliefs and thoughts will bring more peace and harmony into your life? And again, how can you let your light shine for all to see? This is both our greatest challenge and the wholeness we long for. As the New Year begins, give yourself a gift of love, acceptance, and embrace the light within you; knowing that as you do this you are illuminating the world. Peace and love to you!
Sandy Thibault
This article first appeared in the Savage Pacer 1-2-10
For more information about InnerLight Healing Center visit our web site: www.counselingandhealing.com
