One of the common wishes that are voiced around Christmas is “Peace on Earth.”
And I wholeheartedly believe in this as a possibility… someday.
Don’t worry, I’m not so naive to think it will just suddenly happen, or that the powers that be will actually work towards it.
I do believe it is something we work on at the microlevel, it truly starts with us.
It’s how we treat ourselves, how we treat our family, how we treat others, how we treat animals, how we treat our planet.
All of the above we have control over.
If we practice kindness, compassion, understanding with all of the above mentioned, we get to a point where anything else simply won’t be accepted.
Practicing this allows us to create a culture where mistreatment is so out of the question because it will not find tolerance for it amongst us.
That sounds really grand, so let’s get back to what we can do and how this will be achievable.
It begins with yourself:
• How do you talk to yourself?
• Do you set appropriate boundaries?
• Do you give yourself needed time and space to just be (it does wonders for your mental space)?
• Do you take care of yourself?
• That’s all the things from sleep, nutrition, movement, chiropractic, healthy relationships (and taking the time to nurture those), breathing…
Do you see how, when you do this with yourself, it’ll be easier and even become second nature to do this with those around you?
Because that’s one of the goals here, learn to be kind and compassionate and understanding with yourself -> learn to extend this to those around you.
I do need to interject here: being kind, compassionate, and understanding also means holding people accountable.
Along with that, have you noticed that all of this means taking responsibility?
I don’t mean you taking responsibility over everyone else’s stuff, but for yourself, how you conduct yourself, how you treat others, how you respond.
I know you are very capable of this, because anyone working with me knows it means you take responsibility of yourself and your health.
One way to start practicing all of this during the holidays is to:
• Enjoy Christmas, don’t bog yourself down with perfectionism
• Along with the festivities, continue taking care of yourself
• Drink good water; do still nourish your body even if you do eat some foods you normally wouldn’t; find time to move your body; take time to breathe
• If you have known “problems” with certain people during this time (that repeat each year), take some time beforehand and think about how you want to handle yourself in those situations from now on (we are not looking for perfection)
Alright, we’ve got a plan, and I promise it is doable.
So let’s go work on being kind, and compassionate, and understanding – with ourselves, others, animals, and the entire planet.
Merry Christmas!
