This New Year promises a fresh start and the opportunity to fill our hearts with high hopes and aspirations. May this year bring gifts of good jobs, good health, abundance, and many joyful surprises. 

Your true purpose is expressed by whatever brings you joy.
Value you own efforts and accomplishments.
There is much to be grateful for.
Relax, breathe, and remember all is well.
Choose actions that speak to your heart.
Always keep your word to yourself.
Go for the life you desire, even when it’s scary to do so.
Share your love daily.
Be attentive to intuitive feelings, they will serve you well.
Everyone has his own path to follow.
Never laugh at anyone’s dreams.
Keep your eyes open. Look around. Be open to new possibilities.
You have the ability inside yourself to change your reality.
Own your life! Don’t just give it away.
Heal the past, live the present, dream the future.
And most of all…
Life is to be experienced, not just endured.

 This year New Year’s Eve is accompanied by a blue moon. A blue moon has nothing to do with the color of the moon but when two full moons occur within the same month, the second full moon is called the blue moon. This is something that doesn’t happen very often—hence the term “once in a blue moon.” 

Celebrations and parties are a wonderful thing, but this Full Blue Moon wants us to take a look at our life and create something wondrous. This year, why not take a few minutes to go outside and look up at the beautiful Moon and listen to what messages your soul is whispering to you for the future. 

As you enter the New Year of 2010, what conscious choices will you make and for what purpose? 

Happy New Year everyone!

“May you listen to your longing to be free.
May the frames of your belonging be large enough for the dreams of your soul.
May you arise each day with a voice of blessing whispering in your heart
…something good is going to happen to you.
May you find harmony between your soul and your life.
May the mansion of your soul never become a haunted place.
May you know the eternal longing that lies at the heart of time.
May there be kindness in your gaze when you look within.
May you never place walls between the light and yourself.
May you be set free from the prisons of guilt, fear, disappointment and despair.
May you allow the wild beauty of the invisible world to gather you,
mind you, and embrace you in belonging. “
-  John O’Donahoe

For those of us here in the United States, Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. Focusing on gratitude and rejoicing in the bounty of our harvest is what this event is all about. It’s a special time of the year when we gather with friends and family to simply be thankful for the food we eat, the lives we live, and our loved ones both near and far. 

With everything going on lately, including economic gloom, Wall Street losses, bad news from corporate America, and sky-high grocery prices, it’s easy to get caught up in the downside of things.  

If you find yourself putting a lot of attention on stress, fear, anger, sadness, or pain about anything in your life, remember to slooooooow down and look at all that is right with the world.  

This week especially, allow Thanksgiving to be a reminder to feel more hopeful, uplifted, grateful, and inspired to enjoy life. 

Wherever you are in the world, whatever joys and sorrows you currently experiencing, know that in this moment I am deeply grateful that our hearts and lives have connected in love, peace, and joy. Thank you very, very much for adding to the richness of my life!

What I am referring to is a shift toward the potential held within each human being, and the importance of growth and self-actualization.  Awakening is a process through which we discover that we are so much more than we think we are.  We each came into this life with a plan and a purpose, one that we often placed on the backburner or forgotten about altogether. Yet this amazing authentic self lies silently inside, waiting for us to awaken and remember why we came here to Earth during this particular time of evolution and change. 

As we heal the confusion and step away from chaos, we begin to wake up. As we place emphasis on making choices that align with our true nature, our spirit comes alive. We begin to remember who we really are. We begin remember what we came here to do. 

Many are willing to make the effort to be introspective and risk discovering if we have the ability to effect change in our own emotions, our own life, and in the world. In the process of introspection we gain increased discernment about recognizing when we rationalize, blame, lie, play victim, or act defensively. We realize where we give away to others the love we most want for ourselves. 

This process of self-awareness leads to forgiveness. We pave the way to an increase in self-worth and self-love, and a growing ability to recognize that we have the freedom to choose how we experience life. We are waking up, wanting to know who we are, and why we are here. 

If you are waking up yourself, then you know it can sometimes be a bumpy ride as we move beyond the rational concrete mind to the not so familiar landscape of intuitive knowing. Remember to breathe consciously, often. Breathing allows you to listen to your inner wisdom. Conscious breathing allows you to slow down and take the time to move beyond reactionary responses, reflect, and gain new perspective. 

Awakening to a higher consciousness is how we connect with our higher purpose and aid humanity at this time of world evolution. It is time for us to step into spiritual awareness and forge a new relationship with life and creation. When we answer the call to our individual awakening consciousness, we play our part in the miracle of life being reborn.

Daffodils! Buds! Flowers!

In February! 

Amazing!!! 

Almost every day I take a walk either around my neighborhood or in one of the local area parks. And for about the last two weeks I’ve noticed spring was already arriving in Dallas, Texas. Today while walking in 76-degree sunshine I noticed that not only were the daffodils practically near the end of their blooming cycle, the trees were flowering white and pink, and the leaves were beginning to show green. It’s only the middle of February and spring has sprung!  

I’m not complaining because spring is absolutely my most favorite time of the year. The strong southerly breezes, the warm temperatures, and life returning to our beautiful planet makes my heart with giddy with joy. But the early spring is a little strange, even for our part of Texas.  

What about you? Is spring showing any early signs of appearance? No matter what the temperature (or season) is in your part of the world, I hope you are taking time out of your day to walk outside, feel the sunshine on your face, and play in the February breezes (even if they are not southerly and warm). 

Choose to live a life that matters.

How are you celebrating spring? Let us know by leaving your comments below!

About the Author: Want to learn more about how to live consciously, love deeply, and laugh often? Come along with Dr. Annette Colby and learn the secrets to creating the life you’ve always wanted to live! Subscribe to her blog Divine Self! today.

The holidays are a time of bright lights, celebration parties, joy, and connection. But, the holidays can also be a time of stress, disappointment, and demanding expectations. If you are looking to feel more authentic and empowered during this holiday season, check out these five new ways to feel more authentically alive and filled with spirit.

Be Yourself

Traditions are wonderful! But it’s also easy to lose yourself under the stress of trying to recreate the holidays exactly the same way your family of origin once did. Before engaging in any holiday related activity try this simple exercise. Stop what you are doing, take a few slow deep breaths, and ask yourself, “How do I really want to express my authentic self?” If no immediate answer appears, don’t do anything just yet. Keep your question alive until you eventually have your answer. Connection to your creative spirit allows your own joyful essence fill every experience.

Stop Demanding Yourself To Be Happy

We all want to be happy during the holiday season, but putting that unreasonable demand upon yourself can create additional pressure. Happiness is an emotion, and like all emotions, it comes and goes. During the holidays, don’t be afraid to admit how you’re really feeling. Ignoring your sadness, emptiness, loneliness, or depression won’t make it go away. Find caring people who will listen without judging you. And when do actually find a reason to be happy, acknowledge the moment, breathe it in, and allow yourself to feel good.

Eat To Be Happy Now and Later

Eating is a big part of the holiday season. But overeating, eating to kill emotions, or severe restrictive eating, can all take the fun out every holiday occasion. When you walk into a holiday event, eat only the best of what there is, not all of what there is. Choose foods that are worthy of your taste buds and your goals. Select your favorite foods, the most exciting and appealing foods, then sit down and really enjoy them. This means eating your favorites while keeping in touch with your body’s limits. Notice when you are full, or when the food you are eating stops tasting as good as it did. And if the food doesn’t meet your expectations at all, walk away.

Watch Your Alcohol Intake

With the increased stress and pressures of the holiday season, you may be tempted to reach for alcohol to help you feel a bit happier and more relaxed. However, when you are feeling anger, anxiety, sadness, or frustration, alcohol may make things worse. After drinking, people sometimes act in ways that they would normally not act. You may be more prone to angry outbursts, cynical snide remarks, arguments, aggression, or violence. In addition, while a little alcohol may make you feel temporarily relaxed, alcohol is a depressant and often makes you feel worse than before.

Holiday Stress Buster Plan

Feeling irritable, tense, overwhelmed, or losing sleep, are signs that you need to bust through some holiday stress. Stress is an emotional reaction to circumstances that you feel are beyond your control. Instead of ignoring your stress, take some time out and acknowledge your feelings. Let yourself rant and rave out loud, cry, talk things out, or write down your feelings. Getting it all out in the open helps you notice what is stressing you out, and look for alternatives to minimize or prevent it.

Do you need to get more sleep, organize your time more effectively, prioritize your activities, eat a diet that works for you, schedule time for physical movement, use less caffeine, or carve out time to relax more? Be careful not to over commit, and don’t take on more than you can comfortably handle. Take action and whatever steps you can to reduce your feelings of helplessness and provide a sense of control over the problem.

Small changes in how you approach the holidays can make a big difference between feeling completed overwhelmed and depressed, and actually enjoying your time. Use the above tips to find balance between holiday tradition and enjoying the fun the holiday season. 

Do you have any unique holiday survival tips or suggestions? Use the comments section below and let us know what you’ve discovered to create a joyful holiday season.

About the Author: Want to learn more about how to live consciously, love deeply, and laugh often? Come along with Dr. Annette Colby and learn the secrets to creating the life you’ve always wanted to live! Subscribe to her blog Divine Self! today.