Today is my 54th birthday.  Yippee! Yay!  I love my birthday because it’s a day that I treat as very special. A day that I feel immense gratitude in my heart for my life.

It’s also a time that I reflect on the past year.  So, as part of my annual birthday reflection, last night I re-read the short ezine that I’d written on my birthday last year.  Here it is:

Today is my 53rd birthday. I was planning to write a “profound” ezine today on my birthday about the purpose of life, but I’ve spent the last five days sitting with my 93-year-old aunt who is about to transition from this life. My experience right now is very internal, but I will share more later. This is an extraordinary way to spend my birthday — midwifing my aunt. It may be her birthday today, too — into a new world. Thank you for all your love and wishes. I am full of gratitude.  

About one hour after I sent that ezine, my aunt died peacefully in my arms.  It was an amazing experience and a beautiful blessing that imprinted on me deeply the preciousness of this life.

And it was the beginning of a year of powerful transitions and transformation on many levels.

So what about this year? What’s it about?   I think it’s reflected in my birthday wish for myself– that I live in greater love and acceptance (and less judgment) of myself, everyone else and life.

I got an early birthday gift about how to make that wish come true last week when I was attending a meeting of the Transformational Leadership Council in Hawaii.  One morning, I took a walk on the beach with Alison Armstrong, who is a brilliant teacher, an amazing visionary, and a wonderful woman.

At one point on our walk, I was judging myself for not being more curious. I complained to Alison that, unlike some people who have a curiosity to learn about everything they can, I didn’t care one bit about knowing certain things – for example, I didn’t care about how the sand we were walking on was created.

Alison stopped me in my sand tracks.

She said, “You know, Marci, the quality our lives is influenced by the quality of the questions we ask ourselves.”

I realized that a question I sometimes ask myself, mostly subconsciously, is “What’s wrong with me?”

Alison suggested that I experiment with asking with these two questions, instead:

1. What if I’m perfect just as I am?  What if, in fact, there are plenty of people on the planet who care about how sand is created, and the universe doesn’t need me to be one of those people.

2. What is right about me?  Wow, what a concept!  Such a different question than the “What’s wrong with me” question.

I’ve begun this experiment, and I love the results.  I’m really feeling more lightness, love and acceptance. I’ve told my friends about it, and they’re trying it on too.

So this is my birthday gift for you—that you try on these questions and see what happens.

My birthday wish for you is that you feel greater love and acceptance of yourself.  That you experience the perfection of you just as you are and that you’re able to see what’s right about you more of the time.

What if the whole world lived with those two questions?  Then every day would feel like a birthday.

With my great love and gratitude that you’re a part of my life,

It’s 2012 — the year the Mayan calendar ends. But instead of doom and gloom, I’m going to make 2012 the best year ever! That’s because I’m so excited about the theme I’ve chosen for the coming 12 months.

As you may remember, every New Year’s, I pick a theme. Last year’s theme was LOVE — a natural when I knew I’d be speaking about Love for No Reason throughout the year. (BTW, there’s a cool announcement about Love for No Reason coming up on Tuesday. Look out for it!)

This year, I spent a few days thinking about my 2012 theme, and I came up with a different possibilities, but none of really hit the spot. Then just yesterday, as I was leaving a Zumba class (all those endorphins seem to clear my brain), it suddenly came to me — my theme for 2012 is “thank you.” Simply that… thank you.

But those two seemingly simple little words can turn everything around. If I can say thank you to everything — no matter what — then I know my life will be joyous and more unconditional love will be automatic.

For me, saying thank you to everything means dropping my evaluation of whether something is good or bad, and judging every happening as to its “merit.” If instead, I can live with a continuous thank you, then everything that comes up can be viewed as a gift. This is a stretch for me, a chronic evaluator, but it’s one I’m up for. Because without a doubt, the happiest people I’ve ever met are those who always have a thank you in their hearts.

My selection of the thank you theme has already been reinforced many times since I made it:

–A friend passed away on New Year’s Day — a wonderful woman who lived with thank you on her lips despite a number of years with a debilitating illness. Her passing reminded me how fleeting and fragile life can be, but how infinitely precious. Thank you.

–Earlier today, I spoke with another friend and asked her how she was. Her reply was, “Grateful.” She said she’d woken up the past few mornings with a lightness and gratitude in her heart. None of her life circumstances had changed, but she was grateful to be alive. Thank you.

–Being single around the holidays has its challenges for many people, including me. But I got to be part of my nephew’s beautiful wedding celebration on New Year’s Eve and witness the great love between him and his new wife. Instead of feeling sad for being alone, I was inspired by their deep love and how they live in a constant thank you for each other. Thank you.

Here’s the process I recommend for you to select and use your theme for 2012:

1. Select a theme that sings to your soul. While you’ve been reading this, has a theme come to you? Are you having a strong pull to a particular word, phrase, or concept? Maybe there’s more than one. Jot them down. Sit with them for a while and see which one speaks the loudest to you. You’ll know you’ve found the right one for you when you’re uplifted just thinking about it.

2. Craft your theme into a short intention statement that becomes your “mantra” for the year. Mine is: I live this year in a continual thank you.

3. Create a vision board with your theme at the top. (I made mine last week, and I love looking at it.)

4. Make a habit of looking for the ways your theme shows up throughout your day.

I can’t wait to hear what your theme for 2012 is. Please share it with me on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MarciShimoffFan.

In honor of my 2012 theme of Thank You, I’d love to share a little gift with you. It’s a beautiful, short video from one of my Love for No Reason heroes, Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk who has started a worldwide gratefulness movement.

As Brother David says, “We are never more than one grateful thought away from peace of heart.”

May your 2012 theme, whatever it is, open your heart to experience greater love this year than ever before.

Aaah.  A New Year!  Woo-hoooo.

What I love about the new year is that we get a fresh start.  Right now, you have a fantastic opportunity– you get to leave behind what didn’t work in 2011 and envision what you’d like to create in 2012.  As this quote says:

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”  – Oprah Winfrey

For the past ten years, I’ve had a simple New Year’s ritual that’s been a great way to ring in the new.  I’ve shared it with a few friends who’ve loved doing it, so I want to share it with you. As the saying goes, Well begun is half done, so I suggest you do this either on New Year’s eve or New Year’s day to get 2012 off to a wonderful start.:

1. Start with a 10 – 15 minute meditation in which you set your attention on releasing the old and opening to the new.
2. On a piece of paper, hand write a list of all the things in 2011 that you’d like to let go of.  This can include old patterns that don’t serve you, grudges or resentments you’re hanging on to, fears that hold you back, or circumstances that you’d like to change.It can also include not-useful habits such as eating too much sugar or not exercising.  Make sure your list is as complete as possible with everything that didn’t work for you in 2011.  My list is usually a few pages.
3. If it’s easy for you to burn the list, then you can do that.  If not, you can tear the list up in many pieces.  As you release this list, imagine letting go of the energies that are represented on your list.
4. Now, on to creation.  Make a list of all that you wish to create for yourself in 2012.Include the habits you’d like to embrace, the external circumstances you’d like to create, and the internal experiences you’d like to have (joy, freedom, ease, love, peace, acceptance of all that is, etc).  Be as specific as possible.
5. Read the list aloud (whether you’re alone or with others).  Speaking it out adds more energy to it.  Feel each item as though it’s actually happened.
6. Put the list in a special place, as a symbolic offering for your coming year.

Notice how you feel after doing this ritual.  I always feel cleansed, lighter, renewed, and excited about what’s ahead.

Please let me know your experience with this and/or share with me any New Year ritual you love on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MarciShimoffFan

This is a special New Year’s for me.  I get to spend New Year’s eve in an extraordinary way.  I have the huge honor of officiating at my nephew’s wedding on December 31!    He and his fiancée are two fabulous people and they’re a great match — their relationship is an inspiration.  I can’t think of a better way to start the new year in this celebration of love.

May 2012 be a year for you full of wonder, grace, miracles, love and the deepest fulfillment of your soul.

With love for every reason,

Marci

P.S.  Something exciting is happening on January 10 — stay tuned for the news.

Living Energy Day starts tomorrow, December 21st at 8PM EST!

“We’re starting near the hour of the solstice and kicking off the longest day with a burst of energy! Get energized on Living Energy Day. It starts the shortest day of the year (if you live above the equator) December 21st, 2011. We’re hosting a 24 hour live teleseminar marathon to spread the word about energy healing.”

My interview with Sandra Crowe kicks off 24 hours of interviews about energy/energy knowledge. Listen in  7:30pm EST and 4:30 PST.

Listen in Live

https://www.facebook.com/LivingEnergyDay

For the last three mornings, I’ve woken up with the holiday song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” going through my head. (Those store soundtracks have an insidious way of taking over your brain!). My spontaneous rebuttal is “It’s the most STRESSFUL time of the year.”

While this can be a fun and fulfilling time, it can also be a time of great challenge. Depression is higher during the holiday season than during any other time of the year.

Is there a better way to live through the holidays so that you plug into the “fun and fulfilling” part and lessen the “stressful” part?

I’ve been exploring that myself this year as I’ve been feeling some sadness these past few weeks. This is the first time in 13 years that I am not in a primary relationship during the holidays and yet I still want to keep my heart open and feel expanded and happy.

I’ve found a holiday prescription that’s working for me and I believe will work for you. It’s based on dealing with the five main sources of stress that can lead to the holiday blues:

1. Overconsumption – We tend to over-shop, overeat, overdrink, over-everything! Can you relate?
2. Loneliness – This is time when we can feel most isolated or alone-even if we’re surrounded by lots of people.
3. Time Pressure – In the mad rush of the season, we stop taking care of ourselves.
4. Financial Stress – No need to explain this!
5. Loss of Perspective – With such an emphasis on buying the right gifts, having the right clothes for parties and gatherings, and finding the right ingredients for our holiday meals, we often lose perspective on what really brings fulfillment.

Here are the top five tips to make it through the holidays keeping your heart open and your joy flowing:

1. Connect to your heart. When you find yourself reaching for that fifth gingerbread man or cup of eggnog, stop and take a few deep breaths in and out of your heart. For extra power, place your hand over your heart to stimulate the happiness chemical, oxytocin.

2. Find community and support. If you’re alone, make sure you seek out people to spend time with. Don’t isolate yourself. Once you have people around you, focus on the ways you appreciate and enjoy them, rather than getting stuck in your judgments or criticisms. Yes, family can bring up your “stuff”-but see it as an opportunity to work on your limiting patterns and let love prevail. (You may want to use the fabulous Ho’oponopono practice to help you let go and forgive).

3. Take time for yourself. In the midst of the holiday whirl is when we MOST need to set aside time to take care of ourselves. One of my favorite ways is to take a 15-minute hot bath with sea salt and lavender oil at night to relax. It feels delicious and it rebalances the body’s energetic field.

4. Serve others. Giving of your time and your heart to serve others who are in need will help take your attention off of the desire to over consume. Altruism and service are a fast-track to heart-opening.

5. Go spiritual. The time around the winter solstice when there’s more darkness is actually a very spiritual time. Take the opportunity to go inward-meditate, connect with spirit in any way that works for you. Spiritual practice is the best antidote I know of to help you keep balance and perspective during the craziness of the season.

With some gentle attention on these five tips, you’ll find yourself humming “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and meaning it.

May the next few weeks be nurturing and joyful for you.
With love for no reason and every reason,

Next Page →