True Balance

As you flip through your personal calendar of 2009, what do you see?

• Who shared your time?

• What did you create?

• What brought you joy?

• What did you learn?

• What did let go of?

2009 marks the year that Life on Your Terms Acceleration was born. 40 entrepreneurs and loads of coaching clients world-wide have been involved since the soft launch in October. The kindness, humor, honesty, and passion for personal freedom shared by each of these unconventional minds left an indelible imprint on me. Many thanks to all of you who played such an important role in this project and extraordinary year. I look forward to sharing my next book, Life on Your Terms - Stories of Entrepreneurial Freedom with you in the summer of 2010.

2009 also brought about the creation of AnxietySlayer.com. This delightful project has been a blast in the making and I’m blessed to share in the slayer fun with Ananga Sivyer. Our mission is to assist you with creating more peace and tranquility in your life through anxiety release exercises and supportive tools created to slay your anxiety.

As you play through the next decade, imagine yourself a year from now, walking to the end of path of 2010, and looking back at your most memorable experiences of the year.

• What would you like to see?

• How do you feel?

• What are you most proud of?

• How have you changed?

• What will you do to ensure your 2010 is what you visualize it will be?

Best wishes for an “intentionally” extraordinary year!

Winter Solstice blessings to you and your loved ones!

Between Darkness and Light

It is within the darkness and the silence
That the magic of Christmas starts;
Somewhere between the glimmer of lights
And the first breathless moment
When children come
Stumbling like new-born angels
Into morning light.
Within the darkness and the silence
We sit, watching wonder
Evolve into form; where we
Enter the ringing silence
In which the first bells of Christmas
Sound the music of the soul;
Where the morning joy begins
With a single carol
To a half-forgotten tune.
It is here, between the darkness
And the light,
That we wait, uncertain,
Seeking the moment
That challenges us to believe
In a freshly minted miracle
Born every Christmas Day.

By John Mathews From The Winter Solstice Quest 1998

Winter Solstice

When you startle awake in the dark morning
heart pounding breathing fast
sitting bolt upright staring into
dark whirlpool black hole
feeling its suction
get out of bed
knock at the door of your nearest friend
ask to lie down beside ask to be held
listen while whispered words
turn the hole into deep night sky
stars close together
winter moon rising over white fields
nearby a wren rustling dry leaves
distant owl echoing
two people walking up the road laughing
let your soul laugh
let your heart sigh out
that long held breath so hollow in your stomach
so swollen in your throat
already light is returning pairs of wings
lift softly off your eyelids one by one
each feathered edge clearer between you
and the pearl veil of day
you have nothing to do but live

By Jody Aliesan - Grief Sweat, Broken Moon Press 1990

Just Delicate Needles

It’s so delicate, the light.
And there’s so little of it. The dark is huge.
Just delicate needles, the light,
in an endless night.
And it has such a long way to go
through such desolate space.
So let’s be gentle with it.
Cherish it.
So it will come again in the morning.
We hope.

By Rolf Jacobsen

Warmest wishes for a holiday season filled with friends and family, sharing toasts and smiles …

Merry Merry!

The holidays can prove to be a highly demanding and stressful time for all of us. Here are 7 tips to help you reduce stress and regain balance in your life this holiday season.

Plan and Create Lists: Prioritize and schedule specific days for shopping, baking, partying and other activities. Creating an actionable plan will make you feel more in control of  your responsibilities.

Acknowledge Your Feelings: You can’t force yourself to be happy just because it’s the holiday season. If you are feeling blue reach out to a good friend or family member for some laughs.  If you feel lonely or isolated,  seek out community events or volunteer your time.

Delegate: You do not have to do everything on your own. Ask the people who love you for help. It’s amazing how much friends and family are willing to step up and chip in.  People like to feel useful and needed.

Get Real: The holidays don’t have to be perfect or just like last year. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children can’t come to your house, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videotapes.

Say NO Thanks: Saying yes when you really want to say no can leave you feeling resentful and totally overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can’t participate in every holiday event or activity.

Continue Healthy Habits: Overindulgence contributes to additional stress and guilt. Plan to enjoy a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don’t gobble up too many decadent treats. Do your best to to get plenty of sleep,  physical activity and down time.

Breathe: Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Reduce stress by clearing your mind, nurturing your body and finding inner calm. Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Reduce stress by clearing your mind, nurturing your body and finding inner calm.

The holidays can be a lot of fun. All you need to do is create a plan, ask for help and honor yourself. You deserve to enjoy this time of year.

If you want more information about overcoming stress and anxiety,   you are welcome to visit www.anxietyslayer.com for additional posts, podcasts and ideas created to help you wipe out anxiety and get on wth your life.