1. Celebrate the Holiday Season out of the box by Petrene Soames

Summer draws to an end. We can smell the Fall in the air and we tread a brightly colored carpet of yellow, red, orange and gold leaves. Animals scurry gathering their winter supplies for those cold months ahead, and our thoughts turn to the holiday season and the approaching end of the year festivities.

For many of us Christmas and other holidays such as Diwali, Hanukah and Ramadan will fill us with joyful anticipation, warm memories of family and friends. For others the dread of stress, money we have to spend and that we cannot afford, and obligations that we can see no way around make the holiday season seems like a chore rather than a joy. In today's high-speed modern world many of us only get one or two days off from work and we have so much to do to prepare for the big day that it can become a nightmare, instead of those wonderful holidays we remember in our childhood. We experience massive marketing hype, which leaves us feeling at the end of the year empty and depressed. But we have a choice to get out of the rut, to really re-connect with the holiday spirit, choose the best and leave the rest.

New seasons herald new beginnings. This year could be the perfect time to choose to use the holiday season to get back in touch with yourself and those that you love. Be brave and say no to everything that the holiday isn't about for you. Embrace what it is instead. You could start a trend towards the simplicity and joy of real caring, sharing and giving.

We all know that it can be difficult to break away from certain traditions and decide to do holidays differently. You could start this year by considering going to another town, state or even country, alone or with those you love. Different scenery could be just the inspiration that you need to bring real change and leave you feeling rejuvenated and revitalized, ready for the New Year ahead. Let's look again at all those gifts that we give and receive each year that just get tossed in the closet and forgotten about. Is there really any point? What do you buy for the person who has everything? Do you find yourself trying to match dollar for dollar the gifts that you receive from others? Worse still, do you spend hours wondering how you can make everyone happy?

It will always hold true that one small gift beautifully wrapped given with love and caring thought will be far more valuable than ten other expensive ones without those sentiments. Sometimes it's easy to go overboard and get caught up in the giving spirit. As humans we love to give; we love to love. Often we shop for hours and yet never find a gift that can adequately express what we want to give and say to those we love. Maybe it's time to simply accept that material gifts do not often fill that need we have in ourselves to let go and give to the max.

If you are feeling blasé, burned our or even bored with the very thought of yet another holiday season, then it's time to celebrate this year "out of the box". Here are ten tips to make this holiday one to remember and bring real change, greater awareness and even healing into your life.

1. Re-look at what the Holiday Season really means to you and then say no to all those unwanted obligations. Do what you feel from your heart and promise yourself to celebrate in your own unique way and style.
2. Consider taking a trip away this year and do the holidays differently. Give yourself a real break and even start a trend.
3. Spend the Holidays only with people whose company you enjoy and say "no thanks" to others.
4. Re-look at your giving and receiving of gifts. Minimize the affair and remember that you can give gifts at any time of the year. You don't have to wait for the Holidays.
5. Promise yourself that this year you will make your Holidays a joint venture between family and friends. Let everyone contribute and get involved, right through to grocery shopping, cleaning, and decorating the house to preparing the menu and the big meal. Make it a real team effort. You'll be amazed at how everyone will enjoy pitching in.
6. Take time out for you. Walk, sleep late, dream, notice things, savor tastes and smells, remember the past, make plans for the future and simply de-stress.
7. Reach out and touch someone who is sad, in need or alone, and has no one to share the Holidays with. Include people from other races and cultures. Find out how other people celebrate their special days. We are all one, so get informed.
8. Make a list of all things and ways that you would like the world to be. Put it on your fridge or notice board and commit yourself to take action throughout the year to bring positive change. When we each decide individually to make a change and take action, our world will become the wonderful place we want it to be.
9. Think about someone who is hard to forgive, just for five minutes. Someone you haven't seen for a while. Send them a warm thought or bright light, even if you are still angry with them. Forgiveness is not good or compulsory, but it is the mark of a block released, a willingness to heal pain and an emotional letting go and moving on.
10. Do it all differently. If you feel like eating good bread and cheese for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, instead of the traditional meal, go for it! If everyone is wearing green and red and you want to wear yellow and blue, just do it! Allow yourself this year to celebrate you, out of the box.

As a final thought for "life", try this year a vegetarian holiday dinner and enjoy a cruelty free meal. If you must have a live Christmas tree, go to a nursery where you can buy one with roots, rather than just axing it down. When you plant your tree after Christmas, it will stay as a living symbol of life and growth, a conscious reminder that you do care about all life, even when it's not clothed in human form. Happy Holidays to all.

Petrene Soames is the author of The Essence of Self-Healing: How to bring health and happiness into your life (FleetStreet Publications - March 2001). She is a leading authority in healing and self-awareness, an inspirational speaker, a veteran television and radio guest featured in national and international press. She has worked successfully over the past 22 years as a consultant and therapist, helping others achieve their highest potential. Visit her web site at http://Timeismine.com and enjoy her free interactive fun rooms, or call (281) 363-9983.

To order your own autographed copy today and receive a free set of The Power of Positive Thoughts Cards, got to http://timeismine.com/ordernow.html or call 281-363-9983

Give a present that shows that you really care… A note from Etal.

The Holiday Season means Holiday shopping for many of us. It means also often hours of wonders and catalogs reading trying to figure out what to get this year to each and everyone of your family members, friends, co-workers, school teacher, local fire brigade and neighbors. It appears that each year Americans spend over $800.00 for Christmas presents. As you already know, most of these presents will be joining a pile of others, somewhere in a cupboard.

So, this year, make it easier on you and at the same time, give a present that really shows that you care. Buy each and every one of the people on your list a copy of The Essence of Self-Healing by Petrene Soames.

It's just $16.95 and you probably can get it with a discount at Amazon.com or your major bookstore. You can also get autographed copies on our site and we'll give you a free set of The Power of Positive Thought Cards with each book order.

I can hear some of you saying: "Yes, but he or she is not really into this kind of thing." Well, why not give them a chance and, maybe more credit. You might be very surprised at their reaction. Plus, wouldn't you rather give them something that brings them a chance to become interested in "this kind of thing"?

Just imagine how relaxing this Holiday Season could be for you. One phone call, all your presents in the mail at once. And a month of relaxation, stress free and pleasing thoughts ahead of you. What a better way to get ready for Christmas!?

http://timeismine.com/ordernow.html

2. Upcoming Presentation and Workshop with Petrene Soames

Book Signing: Experience the Essence of Self-Healing

Saturday November 24, 2001 at 7:00 PM
Barnes and Noble - The Woodlands
1310 Lake Woodlands Drive
281-363-0271

Workshop: Experience the Essence of Self-Healing: Stage 3

December 02, 2001 - 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Bellaire Area
Call for directions
281-363-9983
Fees: $50.00 - Stage 1 and 2 required

Go to our Workshop Section for more information on these upcoming workshop or to subscribe to our Workshop Mailing List and receive a notification by email when workshops are offered in your area (City, State).

Listen to Petrene Soames on the Radio

If you are in the Somerset, MA area, Listen to Petrene on WSAR every Friday at 11:00 AM your time for a one-hour phone-in show

3. A few words from Etal... What's cooking?

As you'll notice, I have no recipe to offer this month. In fact, I need your feedback. I've been "cooking" for over a year now and have never heard a word from you. So I must conclude that you don't like my cooking or just don't have the time or energy to follow my new recipes.

Anyway, as I said, I need some feedback. I will be happy to share your own Vegan recipes with other in this section. But you have to e-mail them to me first. So, feel free to send your personal favorites to information@petrene.com.

Also, for those of you living in the US, I'd like to share a little experience Petrene and I had last week. Our local supermarket every year offers points for Thanksgiving every time you shop there from September to November. Every year, when it's time to get the famous dead turkey, we kindly call the manager and explain that we prefer the turkey alive or just credit on our vegetables, since we like turkeys but not dead. Once again, to the amazement of the cashier, the manager immediately approved our request and gave us credit for about $9.00, which he reckoned was the value of a dead turkey. And since he did not have a live turkey, we took the credit and got 9 bucks of veggies.

My point is: you can do that too. Thanksgiving is about celebrating the new crops, i.e. life. If each one of us would refuse the free turkey and demand free veggies instead, the annual massacre of 100's of thousands of turkeys would stop. And trust me, you would still enjoy a great meal.

So, go to your supermarket, and when they tell you with a large smile that you got a free turkey, tell them you want it alive, thanks.

That's all for me, have a wonderful cruelty-free Thanksgiving. And remember it's time to celebrate Petrene's birthday the following week on November 28.

Interesting web sites about vegetarianism:

• http://www.peta-online.org/ [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]
• http://www.vegweb.com/ [Veggies Unite! - Lots of free recipes]
• http://petrene.com/articles/vegetarian.htm "To be or not to be a vegetarian" by Petrene Soames.

Home - Self-Healing - Paranormal - Press Kit - Consultations and Therapies - Articles - Public Forums

Fun Rooms - Free Newsletter - Guestbook - Legal Notice - Contact us - Site Map

Copyright 2001 © Petrene Soames