Are you dreading the holiday season already? You know, the whole process- shopping/gifting/cooking/eating/drinking season (or and don’t forget family) just ahead?
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey
From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, many of us get trapped in a cycle of overabundance—the state of having too much, as in more than we can use. More than we can process. The cup not just full, but overflowing. This overabundance—having more than we really need—creates stress, lowers vibration, and zaps energy from mind, body, and spirit.
Now, I’m all for abundance- but stress happens during the holiday season! I’m certainly not one to pass up on anything that brings pleasure or beauty or connection to my life. But when we become trapped in the cycle of overabundance—the endless circle of want, get, want, get—our lives fall out of balance.
Overabundance of Food: Rich, sweet, fatty holiday food lowers your physical vibration, which affects your mind and spirit too. Don’t worry about weight gain—instead, be focused on the energetic signature of the food you eat. Is it processed? Will it make you feel good? Does your body really want it? Pay attention, and don’t let the season of indulgence lower your vibration.
Overabundance of Socializing: Office parties, school events, or the annual party you’ve gone to every year for 10 years … All of this has a certain clamor of “must attend” attached to it, when in reality, you can change plans, opt out, or do something different. It seems every weekend between Thanksgiving and New Years has at least one holiday party. Reassess every year. Introverts especially may need lots of private time during this season, so give yourself the gift of quiet and solitude.
Overabundance of Gifts: The cycle of shopping, buying, wrapping, giving, and receiving can be very stressful, even if budget is not a concern. The sheer energetic reality of involving ourselves with “stuff” can be overwhelming, especially when we understand that every object has its own frequency, vibration, or energetic signature depending on where it came from, how it was made, who made it, and so forth … this is a lot of new energy to add to your reality!
Consider your energy as you decide how or if you will give and receive gifts this year. Consider your energy if you decide to do without, do less, or give experiences or to charity instead. Once you break the gift cycle, you will be surprised by how free you feel.
Overabundance of Family Relationships: There’s that saying “You can’t go home again.” And yet every holiday season, most of us continue to swim upriver to our birthing place. Many times, the wounds, past hurts, and misunderstandings are still there. Be gentle with yourself and others. Have an exit strategy if things go awry. If it’s just too much, opt out and try again another time.
Overabundance of Tradition: Just because you’ve always done it a certain way doesn’t mean you have to do it that way now. This might include going to a certain event, party, gathering, or church service. Break free from the rigid traditions, the things your family has “always done,” and see what else the Universe might have up its sleeve for you and yours!
Overabundance of Group Thought: Understand the power of group thought or collective soul to affect your mood. During the holidays, mindless consumption is the culprit: Everyone is stressing out on want, get, want, get. This creates enormous tension and when this is done in the collective everyone feels it. During this time, connect to your own higher self (God/One/All/Divine/Source) frequently and deeply. Use Thanksgiving and Solstice as markers for the season—times when you can easily dip into gratitude and joy.
Sara Wiseman is a spiritual teacher and intuitive, and the author of six insightful books on spirituality and intuition, including her new book, Living a Life of Gratitude: Your Journey to Grace, Joy & Healing. You can visit her online at sarawiseman.com.
