It’s that time of year again as the New Year approaches and many people feel exhausted and hurry to get to the finish line of 2015 writes Sonia Friedrich, who has some holiday season survival tips – and more…

All around Australia, there have been conversations  from “I can’t wait my family arrives tomorrow” to “I can’t wait until it’s over”. Christmas has a lot riding on it. Let’s just recap the frenzy: there’s the buying of presents frenzy; the overeating food frenzy; the drinks and parties frenzy; the traffic frenzy; the family dynamic frenzy, the going into debt frenzy and the worst of all, the reignited trauma frenzy, which sits at its yearly peak. It’s a lot of association for just one day of the year.

Critical in the frenzy is to stop and hear your quiet. In silence you can reflect on all the good that has happened this year. Away from the noise of distraction, you can hear your truth. Can you think back to January, February, March etcetera and the good that happened. It can be difficult to look back. We find it easier to remember the here and now.

Here are some ways to help you think back and remember 2015. Ask yourself:

1. What am I grateful for this year?
2. Who really was a stand-out and why? Thank them today
3. Who else are you grateful for? Thank them today too!
4. Have there been 1 or 2 events that changed your life this year? What made them so? Relive and feel their energy. What was your part in making them happen? Thank yourself and thank any others involved too.
5. Have there been celebrations of lives lost? Remember the joy or their presence on the earth and why you love them and what you miss the most.

Now bring it a little closer. Let’s look at YOU.

6. What have you done this year that you are particularly proud of? Take a moment and pat yourself on the back.
7. When did you really show up?
8. How did you help others?
9. What recognition were you given – both small or large?
10. What recognition did you give to others?

Reminding yourself of all the reasons to be grateful takes you out of the frenzy and back to the gratitude and celebration of Christmas and your life. Remember your body follows your brain. When you apply focus with feeling you change your state of being. Feel this shift in your body and what it makes you wish to do and how you wish to be. Honour this.

Hold this space as you contemplate how you wish to celebrate and enjoy Christmas. Not through obligation, that helps no one. Instead celebrate and share through honouring of yourself and those you love. Choice from this spacious place of love changes your life and those around you. Whenever you are in a difficult situation over the next week, feel this. Remind yourself that this is the truth of who you are.

Your Christmas Pledge

Take it a step further. Write out your Christmas Pledge – of how you wish to hold yourself and travel through this festive season. It only needs to be a sentence or two. This small idea is powerful. In fact why not write out one for how you want the next year to be too. This is your Personal Pledge for 2016..

Change can occur. Simply by turning your attention to gratitude, you feel the power of your love for yourself and for others. Let this shift be how you choose to effortlessly fly though Christmas and set sail for 2016.

Merry Christmas and thank you for being.

 Find out more about Sonia on:  Soniafriedrich.com

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