“ Open the window in the center of your chest, and let spirit fly in and out.”
– Rumi, 13th century mystic poet

The holiday season is considered the season of love. But the question is:  Are you feeling it? Though it’s the time when we gather with friends and family, put our attention on giving, and donate our time or money to those in need, it can also be a season of high stress.

Every year, I go into this season with mixed feelings. While I love the spirit of openness, love, and giving, I also feel the pressures of the season. Right now, in particular, I feel the sadness of missing my friends who passed away this year and certainly missing my parents.

So how can you and I experience the upcoming weeks with love? By consciously opening our hearts—an open heart is truly the way to experience the juiciness and joy of this season.

I’ve been so fortunate to have spent the past two years interviewing 150 Love Luminaries for my upcoming book, Love for No Reason. I’ve seen how they keep their hearts open in all circumstances and seasons. (You’ll hear much more about the exciting launch of the book in the next few weeks.)

From these interviews and additional research, I discovered some great tools for living with unconditional love, which I share in the book.

In the meantime, here are a few tips to help you keep your heart open during this holiday season:

1. Let Love In. Receiving from others is an act of love and connection that opens your heart—and benefits your body. Research shows that when you receive, your levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter of well-being and happiness, rise just as much as when you give.

When someone offers you a gift—whether in the form of a present, a compliment, or some assistance—graciously receive it. Smile and say thank you, while letting their loving intention sink deeply into your heart. Truly register and savor the feeling of appreciation.

2. Anchor Yourself in Safety. Feeling stressed, unsupported, or fearful essentially takes love off-line. It’s impossible to activate the physiology of unconditional love when you’re experiencing stress and your body is in fight or flight. To quickly switch out of stress mode, take a few deep breaths and consciously relax your pelvic floor, located at the base of your body. This kick-starts your parasympathetic system and sets the stage for what mind/body health expert Dr. Eva Selhub calls your body’s “love response.”

3. Plug into a Larger Heart. Love thrives when we feel at peace inside. During the hectic holiday time, recharge your spiritual batteries by investing even just a little time each day in silence, meditation, or prayer. Tapping into this inner wellspring of spirit connects you to the energy of unconditional love and boosts your capacity to experience Love for No Reason by a factor of infinity. (It also helps you stay centered when dealing with any challenging family members—if you happen to have any of those.)

May your holidays be filled with the gifts of an open heart and the true spirit of the season.

With love for no reason and every reason,

Marci Shimoff

P.S. I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @Marci_Shimoff.

Have you ever wondered how I became a successful author… and entrepreneur?

Well, I’m going to share my author secrets with you!  You’re invited to join me and a gathering of 21 other successful authors including Michael Gerber, Peggy McColl, Loral Langemeier, T. Harv Eker, Michael Port, Arielle Ford and many more.

Christine Kloser and Lynne Klippel are allowing me to invite YOU to their newest program completely for free!

“Successful Author Secrets: Navigating the Course from Aspiring Author to Best-Seller and Beyond”

It’s a ground-breaking program that walks you through the crucial 9 steps to becoming a successful author… even if you haven’t written a word of your book yet!

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I personally can’t wait for this program because I’ll be sharing information I’ve never shared before about my career as an author!

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

- Abraham Lincoln

We’re so excited to announce a special summer gift! One Twitter Follower and Facebook Fan will win a 20-minute happiness consultation with Marci Shimoff.

The winners will also each win a copy of Marci’s newest book Love For No Reason when it comes out.

The two winners will be selected on June 22, 2010.

Good luck!



Hello readers!

I caught the happy virus last night
When I was out singing beneath the stars.
It is remarkably contagious -
So kiss me.

This poem, “The Happy Virus,” by the great Sufi poet Hafiz, is one of my favorites, and it’s been on my mind during these intoxicating spring days. There’s a wonderful feeling of happiness and love in the air.

This spring I’m trying a little experiment. I’m channeling that energy of spring love and rebirth into a love affair with nature and life!

The vibrancy of the season is inspiring. I can remember living in Iowa and walking down a street that on one day resembled a black-and-white photo in wintertime and on the next would be teeming with new, green life. The tender sprouts and fragrant blossoms would feel like divine grace after the austerity of winter. My heart would open.

We get excited about a new iPad, car, or outfit, but what about feeling the vibrant energy of life itself being new? When we see everything with new eyes, we feel the exhilaration of new life surging forth. We can get intoxicated just from the warmth of sunshine on our skin!

Spring is a great time to put attention on your inner awakening mirroring the outer stirrings of Nature.

We did this at my mastermind group meeting this week. Each member answered the question, “What is looking to be born in my life?” For one woman, it was a new direction for her business. For another, it was a new relationship with her body.

My answer was a new appreciation for, and honoring of, myself. One way I’m acting on this is throughout the day asking myself the question, “What is the most loving thing I can do for myself right now?”

Is something new wanting to come forth in your life? Nurture this new life with these daily practices:

1. Ask yourself, “What is looking to be born in my life?” Take a few minutes to write down your thoughts and place some attention on this daily.

2. Go outside and consciously drink in the springtime. See it, feel it, hear it, smell it. Let it get into your bloodstream and infect you with happiness.

3. Notice what is new and fresh all around you-in nature, in your relationships, in your work.

If it still feels like winter inside your heart, be with that feeling and trust that it will pass. It always does. Keep an eye out for sprouts of hope and happiness, and when you feel them, take time to enjoy them.
Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Let’s celebrate the continual renewal of our planet and our lives.

Happily yours,

I had an impromptu potluck dinner party with some longtime friends the other night, and I still feel high as a kite. And, it wasn’t the wine–it was the conversation!

We started the evening joking around and chatting about what was new in our lives, but at some point, the conversation turned to what was truly important to us: our hopes and dreams and fears. We told stories, shared what we were most excited about, and learned things about each other and ourselves that we had never known before.

By the end of the evening, there was so much love in the room! We felt like family (a non-dysfunctional one!). We had opened up, shared ourselves, listened to each other, and really connected. And our hearts were overflowing with happiness.

We were living proof of a recent study showing that people who spend more time having deep discussions and less time engaging in small talk seem happier. As humans, says Matthias Mehl, a psychologist at the University of Arizona, we are driven to find and create meaning in our lives, and we want and need to connect with other people.

While feeling connected with others is clearly part of the happiness equation, our crazy, busy lifestyles leave us feeling unconnected, isolated, and alone. But, as the saints and sages tell us, on the deepest level we are actually all one. The more deeply we open up to others and connect in meaningful ways, the more we erase the distance between us.

Now, we don’t have to be deep and philosophical all the time. I love an occasional read of People magazine and enjoy chatting with friends about goings on around town. But have you ever noticed how you feel after a gossip fest? I usually walk away from those conversations feeling a bit crummy. I love this anonymous saying:

Great minds talk about ideas.
Average minds talk about events.
Small minds talk about people.

There’s certainly more happiness in being great than in being small–and that’s something we can cultivate. If you find yourself interacting superficially with others, try something new. One on one or in a group, explore big issues and share what’s true for you. Notice how when you go deep, others will join you there.

Try this out and see how you feel:

*
In your one-on-one conversations or in a gathering of people, throw out a question such as:

What are you most excited about in your life right now?
What is your biggest dream for the next 5 years?
What has been your most fulfilling experience in your life so far?

*
Listen to what people have to say. Hear them with your heart and feel the connection.
*
Notice and appreciate the ways in which you are different from others, and especially notice the ways in which you are similar.

When I was younger I loved a glitzy party with lots of flashy clothes and sparkling wit. Now I care most about having that sparkle in my heart.

Have more heart-to-heart conversations and enjoy the happiness of feeling connected. If our paths should cross in person someday, I look forward to asking you, “What are you most excited about in your life, right now?”

Happily yours, Marci

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