Live, Laugh and Love Yourself This Holiday Season

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Live, Laugh and Love Yourself This Holiday Season
Posted: 07 Dec 2010 01:30 PM PST
Channeled by Brenda Hoffman for Life Tapestry Creations.com

Dear Ones,

As we move closer to the solstice/eclipse of December 21st you will note that your feelings – perhaps even your physical being is changing. You will find it more difficult to concentrate and when you are able to do so, you will find yourself thinking of many others you previously did not care for with a warmer heart. You will find yourself falling in love with yourself and thereby, others.

It is true that some of you reading this material may not change in the least for you have already opened your heart to yourself and thereby, others.

But most will find the next three or so weeks quite dramatic. For indeed, not only will your emotions soften, your physical being will become a bit more lovely as a result. Have you ever noted how someone in the first stages of love often looks younger than had been true before? Such is what we are speaking of. For indeed, the shift has much more to do with emotions than with any physical changes in diet, exercise or even plastic surgery. Love will allow you to feel and look younger.

Again, some of you have completed this shift so you will note little difference; other than a greater than usual ability to concentrate on the tasks at hand – most notably completing your holiday preparations. Those of you who are about to go through this self-love shift will find your world in disarray – but then, you will not care that it is so.

Do you remember falling in love? You felt light and airy – everything was beautiful and you could not wait to be with the object of your love. Apply those same thoughts to falling in love with yourself and you will see the joy and yes, silliness of such thoughts in the midst of your holiday preparations. Much of what you do during the holiday season is about making others happy. This season, your priority will be making yourself happy.

Those of you fearful of being selfish merely need to review your past holidays to determine that you have “paid your holiday dues.” You have stayed up all hours baking your cookies, shopping for and wrapping your gifts and spending money you did not feel comfortable spending – to make others happy.

Your society shifted the arena of love from loving yourself to that of giving to others at the cost of yourself. Even though many of you may receive joy in doing so, we are merely pointing out that you may have done so not because you wanted to, but because others expected it of you.

Do you really enjoy shopping, wrapping, cooking and cramming thousands of activities into a few days a year? If so, that is wonderful. You are doing what is right for you. But if you, like most people reading this message, are thinking of the holiday season in terms of deadlines, hard work and giving of yourself despite your exhaustion, perhaps you will want to review your priorities. That is what this solstice/eclipse is about.

Are the holidays to celebrate love – for yourself and others – or to show others what a wonderful person you are? In essence, to buy their love with your kindness? Are you having fun or is it a ritual dictated by society?

If you have fun with holiday preparations, very little will change. You have already determined what gives you joy. But if you find yourself exhausted and irritable year after year, you will find it difficult to focus this year.

Your being is shifting from giving all of yourself to others, to loving yourself as much as others. Does this mean you will do away with your holiday celebrations? Perhaps. But more likely, you will find yourself less willing to take part in the rituals that mean little to you and therefore, to others.

Let us explain. Prior to this year, few humans were “clear enough” to know if rituals were to please others or if they had personal meaning. Year after year, the rituals continued because they were expected. How many women breathed a sigh of relief when it was no longer their “duty” to cook and clean for hordes of guests? That is what we are speaking of. It will be as if you wake up one morning and ask, “Who am I doing this for and do I enjoy doing it?” A very simple question but one that the majority you have never asked before. Holiday preparations were your duty, your obligation – joy had little to do with it.

Granted, joy often did arrive at some point. Perhaps when someone you love opened the “perfect” gift. Or when your child or grandchild’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. But at what cost to your well-being?

For the first time, you might question yourself. But you will do so in a fog. A bit like waking up in the morning and not being able to focus without your first cup of coffee. You will attempt to maintain your traditions, but you will have so much difficulty focusing that you will pare down your preparations to those you can do easily and effortlessly.

We have returned to joy and self-love. How can you love yourself when you have driven yourself to distraction with various preparations? How can you have fun when you are too exhausted to think?

In the next three weeks, you will question yourself repeatedly, “Why am I doing this? Who is it for?” And you will come to the radical conclusion that you may like this piece, but not that piece. You will simplify and adjust your holiday preparations to those you feel like doing, rather than the usual what you “should” be doing.

The net result will be a more loving and joyous holiday season than you have had for a very long time. For as you put yourself first, as you fall in love with yourself, you will have more to give others.

No holiday, no activity is a should. It is time for you to return to joy – which is only possible when you love yourself. It is time for you to enjoy the holidays. It is far beyond time for you to breathe a sigh of relief that you have completed your holiday rituals.

Live, laugh, love. These are the key words for your life and all holiday celebrations in your future starting with this 2010 season. So be it. Amen.

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