Today's tenth and final tip (from Self-Guided.com's popular Top Ten Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress) is a reminder to look within, where you may find some unexpected "gifts" of the season.

10. Reflect on the deeper meaning and spirit of the holidays for you personally, for your family, and for humanity and the world.
So much of the holidays center on outward, physical, sensory experience -- the brightness of the Christmas lights, the frosty air on our cheeks, the smell of roasting foods, the sound of caroling voices. Partly because of this, the deeper, more spiritual meaning of the holiday season can become lost in the shuffle. By pausing to reflect on this meaning, you can gain a better perspective on how to organize your holiday priorities.

A good place to start is remembering who we are and what forces we allow to guide our lives. The following excerpt from Joel and Michelle Levey’s book Simple Meditation and Relaxation is a guide to discern the intangible forces that add meaning and depth to our lives:

If you look deeply into yourself, can you find the mountain streams, the clouds, the sunshine, vineyards, orchards, and wheat fields within you? Looking at your hands or into the mirror, can you see your father and mother, your grandparents and ancestors? If you listen deeply to your "self-story," can you hear the whispers of wisdom and confusion, the love and the fear, the cruelty and compassion of countless people, ancestors, and lifetimes?

If you ask me to point to "myself," that part of me that is most truly "me," I’d have to laugh. It simply can’t be done. "I" am this whole cast of characters, wise and wooly, loved and loathed, all the many voices that call themselves by my name. It is truly amazing how the myriad strong, compelling forces that drive our lives can be so invisible, ephemeral, so impossible to see or grasp. Still these intangible forces act so strongly on our lives, compelling us into actions even when we know they are not necessarily the most wise, kind, or balanced. To the degree that these forces are unknown or un-owned by us, they are able to exert an often unbalancing influence over our life. And to the degree that we are mindful of these forces, we have more freedom, choice, and possibility in our lives.

© 1998 by Joel Levey and Michelle Levey

Take a Deeper Look Within Click on either of the links below to listen to track 3 from Joel Levey's Self-Guided Relaxation CD: Track 3 -- Magical Moments (2 min 11 sec) A heartfelt inspiration to personal excellence, and a vivid reminder of how to reconnect with your calm, peaceful center. Listen:  Real Audio   Windows Media