How To Release Fear During the Holiday Season

Part 5: How to Put Your Attention on Positive Choices During the Holiday Season

Do you engage in self sabotaging behavior? Do you end the holidays will feelings of remorse and regret? Do you tell yourself it will get better but it doesn't? To change, you must heal through self-love. I believe that when we realize dysfunctional behavior, when we do self sabotaging and self destructive things, there is a cry for healing.

What is the motivation to be free from destructive patterns? If you really want to be free, releasing these patterns allows you to live a life that is fully expressed, a life that is not run by old wounds. You have the opportunity to stand in a place of power. The real question is are you ready and willing? Are you open to living your divine purpose and fulfilling your mission? If so, then it is time to begin to view these old wounds and old feelings as distractions.

So how do we heal? First, we change our thinking. What we focus on is what we will attract into our lives so focusing on healthy choices for our mind, body and spirit will have the greatest affect. You do not need to feel guilt or shame. All you need to feel is love for yourself. This self love has the power to move mountains. This is especially important during the holidays when people and experiences may bring up feelings of discomfort or challenge. I suggest that you begin to practice this very moment to strengthen yourself before engaging in holiday activities

Your body is like a computer. Everything you've experienced is imprinted in your cells, muscles and tissues. Many authors discuss the effect of the mind on the body and how thoughts and traumas can have long-lasting effects on the immune system. Practice these techniques to nurture yourself.

1) Free your body. Choose one thing you will do physically every day for a few days. It could be five minutes of stretching, a walk or just dancing to music in your room. After the movement each day, sit and listen to your body to create a dialogue. It will begin to inform you about how the tension relates to beliefs hindering your growth.

2) Honor yourself. Your body is a precious vehicle for your soul and your loving treatment of this vehicle will strengthen your self love. Feed your body temple with healthy foods. Dedicate yourself to welcoming new ideas to empower your body. Pick up a book for new information. Embrace ways to uplift yourself.

3) Take action. Practice daily rituals of self-nurturing such as a bath, a sunset or reading inspiring material. Do some form of physical exercise every day. As you connect and love your body, you are loving yourself. Eat with healthy intentions. Pick one challenging area and choose one thing you will commit to changing. It could be eating more fruit, cutting down on chocolate or eating fewer carbohydrates.

You get to decide how you are going to spend the time you have on this earth. The holidays can be a time of celebration and rejoicing. There is no one on this earth who deserves to be loved more than you. You have the power over how you think feel and act. Embrace it!

Next week we will discuss how to live passionately in 2008. Remember, freedom is a choice.

Cynthia James is a lecturer, teacher, internationally renowned performing artist and author of "What Will Set You Free". She currently serves as an associate minister at Mile Hi Church, in Lakewood, Colorado, one of the largest new thought spiritual centers in the world, with a congregation of over 10,000 member and friends. To learn more about living a life of passion, visit her website at www.whatwillsetyoufree.com.