Hi,

Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc� For most of my life these were only �holidays� from contentment.

No matter how divinely thankful and positively content throughout the year, I�d experience these �holidays� as benchmarks for unmasking a reality of all I was missing or had not accomplished: High-octane fuel for high anxiety-panic-depression.

The Midwest Center Program was a valuable resource for changing the way I go about choosing to experience these �holidays.� When the action assignment for lesson four directed me to �Go to bed each night and get up each day counting blessings! Gratitude!� I did. But, it took the longest time after completing the program to understand the powerful connection between mind-set and gratitude:

• One cannot achieve a positive mind-set without being grateful for all the good things in life.
  
• One cannot maintain a negative mind-set without remaining ungrateful for all the good things.
  

Not ever having thought of myself as an ungrateful person, practicing gratitude continues to challenge and inspire me to this day. I�ve come to better understand how allowing my focus to be on negative thoughts means choosing to be ungrateful by not focusing on the positive goodness in life. Once again this season comes to remind me of the importance in asserting control over my focus rather than passively waiting to replace a negative thought. I assertively choose what to be grateful for when awakening, so later when negative thoughts pop-up they�re more easily dismissible for not being what I chose to think about today.

• I endeavor to never take �holidays� from compassion, love, patience, acceptance and gratitude.
  
• I may choose to change somewhat, but that does not mean I am not divine just the way I am.
  

Gratitude : Affirming the Good Things in Life by Melody Beattie further explores how gratitude can work miracles in our lives, transforming negative, self-defeating thoughts into recognition of the gifts life has to offer. This season I gave the book as a gift to my self, and I share it with you here today suggesting you may want to consider giving it as a gift to your self this season.

How will you go about choosing to experience these �holidays?�

~ Dolphin

[This message has been edited by Dolphin (edited 12-21-2001).]

I'm glad you brought this topic up. I'm now realizing how challenging it has been each and every year for me to be greateful. Not only are there all these holidays around this time, but my birthday is also at the end of the year.

My birthday has always been a constant reminder how old I'm getting (age is just a number), and what I have yet to accomplish. Never once before did I look at what I have already accomplished. I've been a firm believer of the school of thought that the "glass is half empty," as opposed to "half full." I occassionally continue to to think in this manner, but I'm better equipped now to realize it.

This year I've decided to change all of that. I've been working on positive thinking methods all year to help me realize that my glass has always been half full. I'm hopeful that it will work. This year I'm ready for my birthday, and to prove it, for the first time ever, I'm having a party instead of hiding as I usually do.

As far as holidays go. This will be my 4th year celebrating Kwanzaa. I imagine that it will too have a special meaning this year. I find Christmas very commercialized and Kwanzaa for me seems to put all of the holidays together into perspective. Kwanzaa is a great way for me to end the year.

Thanks for reading!

That was beautiful. Thank you! Enjoy......

Coco

Great topic Dolphin!

After managing Hallmark for five years I became totally burned out this time of the year...My mind was usually on Easter!lol!

My husband is a scrooge, so we have compromised with the celebration of the winter solstice. We will still gather with our families and friends. I especially honor this time of the year for all I am grateful for.

I just won't be "decking the halls" like I used to! Candles and a small tree is enough for us! Shopping on-line saves alot of time and stress. I will be baking just a couple of different favorites and the cards I send are photographs which are a gift in itself. I really have lowered my expectations,so I can relax and enjoy this beautiful time of the year.

Books are a wonderful present to give and recieve though! This looks like a great one!

I love your creativity here!
Diane

"Life is the canvas, you are the artist, paint what you wish."-unknown




[This message has been edited by dl (edited 11-23-2001).]

Cutufa � Most folks warm to the practice of positive affirmation during self-talk, yet it seems a greater leap to comfortably enjoy the practice of outright celebrating. I�ve found if celebrating is perceived as simply practicing another positive affirmation, then it seems less of a leap at all.


Grateful � The name of the book was posted as a �link� that you may click on to quickly get more info.


Coco �The sunshine of your message is always welcomed.


Diane (dl) � Not so many people are familiar with Newgrange, a beautiful megalithic site in Ireland. This huge circular stone structure is estimated to be 5,000 years old, older by centuries than Stonehenge, older than the Egyptian pyramids! It was built to receive a shaft of sunlight deep into its central chamber at dawn on winter solstice.


~ Dolphin

[This message has been edited by Dolphin (edited 12-19-2001).]

Dolphin:

Thank you so much for the beautiful message. I've never had candles or balloons given to me online before. You made my day!

Outright celebrating has always been a bit of a challenge and of course, it is much easier to positive self talk. This year I'm willing to try which seems like a better idea than hiding out.

I think that today I'm better equiped to handle anxiety than I was when I first started, set backs included. However, in the back of my mind I still wonder if when the day comes will I be able to go through with it.

Remember we once spoke about this? Me having such a great idea and wanting to go along with it only to, days later, have that anxiety feeling take it all away...
I'm hopeful that this great celebratory idea of mine stays true until the end of December.

Thanks for reading.... again.

Hi Dolphin!

I have never heard of Newgrange. How fascinating. Stonehenge is one of my favorites too! I am so intrigued by the complexity and organizational skills required for these Ancient wonders! Thanks for the picture!

Peace and Bright Blessings,
*-*-*-*Diane*-*-*-*

Dolphin,

I'm usually educated by you more in one posting than in a week of reading or watching Discovery!! Thanks!!

Hi cutufa, dl-Diane, honor, grateful, and coco:

Please be aware of how grateful I am for your being here.

By the way, dl-Diane started an interesting thread in the Forum relating to the holidays. Consider clicking onto HOLIDAY STRESS.

~ Dolphin