A Season For Joy

Spiritual Parenting Thought for the Month (SM)

Brought to you by Mimi Doe

December, 2008

V10 #12

A Season For Joy

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This newsletter is my gift to you in the hopes of empowering children and parents everywhere to live more joyful, connected lives.

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A SEASON FOR JOY

- Welcome From Mimi

- Gifts of Tradition

- Gifts that Change Lives

- Gracious Receivers

- Giving Joy

- What's New

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December greetings to you all!

This is my favorite of all months. Joyful celebrations, a festive feel in the air, and family gathered together. It’s also my birthday month and I love the possibilities of starting a fresh new year.

I’ve had a lot of email from parents who feel utter dismay about their “economic downturn” and inability to shower their children with gifts as they have in the past. 10 years from now your children won’t remember what gifts they received this holiday season, but they will hold inside of them the feeling of love, acceptance, and delight that was a part of your family atmosphere.

Lao Tzu said: “When you realize there is nothing lacking; the whole world belongs to you.” There is indeed nothing lacking now or ever and when you go within to rest and renew in your spiritual center you can then shower your light on those you love.

Tap into your creative genius and concoct ways to spread joy. One of the most magical Christmas surprises for my young daughters was the year I hung retired ballet costumes from a local dancing school beneath the Christmas tree. I approached the school’s owner and she was thrilled to have me haul them away. My children dressed up as Sleeping Beauty, a pink frilled ballerina, and Snow White for years to come. The price was nothing, but the magic lived for years.

Remember that the only thing that binds you to where you are is what you believe. Take some time to move into quiet and envision and articulate your intentions for the oncoming holidays – indeed for your life. Begin to let go and let Spirit guide you to all you desire and more. Then, the bountiful gifts from the Universe will flow into your life almost effortlessly..

May your holidays be calm, centered, joyful, and contain rich, magical moments.

Blessings and light from my heart to yours,

Mimi Doe

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Giving opens the way for receiving.

-- Florence Scovel Shinn

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GIFTS OF TRADITION

Holidays offer an unparalleled opportunity for creating magic that transcends the calendar. As one stepmother of teens says, "I kind of miss the days when the kids were wide-eyed with amazement. They're certainly much cooler these days. But I know they're better able to understand what the holidays really mean. And I figure that they'll remember these years, too, when they're making magic for their own children."

Your older children know which holiday traditions are most important to them. Invite them to participate, but don't be put off if they choose not to. The freedom to participate in whatever way they can is a powerful gift of love and acceptance. You can still carry on.

It's never too late to start new traditions. My friend Janet started one when she remarried and became part of a stepfamily that included her two daughters and her husband's son, all teens. "Stepfamilies are a little tough, because you're trying to combine separate ways of doing the holidays. For instance, we had ‘theirs’ and ‘ours’ menorahs; we decided to use ours because it had been my grandmother's. My stepson simply opted out of lighting the candles altogether on the first night.

I went out and bought a family menorah the next day and asked him to light it. I was so afraid that he'd laugh at me or refuse. He didn't. Now we use our menorah every year and all the kids want to be the one to light it.”

Hanukkah and Christmas are just the tip of the holiday iceberg. Diwali, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, and the Chinese New Year are only four among the multitude of days that are sacred in various cultural and religious traditions. For each of these, they way your family celebrates may, or may not, be slightly different because you have teenagers in your house. Here are a couple of ideas to try:

-- Consider inviting your children's friends and their families to participate in your family ritual, whether it's Christmas dinner or a special iftar meal during Ramadan.

-- New Year's Day lends itself to rituals about releasing the old and welcoming the new. Some people burn the previous year's calendar. Our family has, since our kids were old enough to hold a crayon, written down or drawn what we hope to unfold in the new year. We then put these intentions into an envelope, seal it with wax, and put it away until the following New Year's Eve when we each read our last year's intentions and reflect on the miracles that unfolded. Invite your teen to share his or her most significant memories from the year that's ending and goals and dreams for the new one.

Remember that, in the moment, the sacred can feel anything but. Younger teens, in particular, can find it challenging to sincerely engage in rituals. Patience and perseverance are the order of the day, as the impact of rituals and traditions comes from repetition and accumulated history. Whether you're celebrating holidays or infusing a memorable moment into an ordinary Thursday, let your teen guide you to what's magic for her. Feed your own soul by learning more about what feels like magic to you and incorporating more of it into your life.

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"The beating heart of the universe is holy joy."

----- Martin Buber

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GIFTS THAT CHANGE LIVES:

*Give the gift of inspiration to the adults you love this holiday. I endorse the work of Mike Dooley and his Tut daily emails (no cost) life my spirit each morning. I believe that his simple tools can change the way people think. And, when we change our thoughts we change our lives.

*I've raved in the past about these uplifting fleece blankets. Words have power and giving the gift of positive words to those we love....words they can wrap around themselves....can be transformational. Find words that match what each person on your gift list needs to take into their very being and send them that blanket.

*I'll let the developer of these transformational products tell you about them in his own words as mine don't do justice:

Manifest any goal, desire or life dream with this new award winning audio and software program. A simple and highly efficient process, using the power of your intention combined with images and your own voice, to reprogram your mind for instant and lasting success.

*This book and CD was created by me and my co/author of Don't Worry: You'll Get In, Michele Hernandez. We spent months researching top high school opportunities for the summer months. Why is it here with gifts that can change lives? Because a summer spent deepening a passion or academic interest can indeed change a teenager's life.

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GRACIOUS RECEIVERS

A few short years ago, during a time of room cleaning and closet straightening, my daughter Elizabeth and I went through her clothes and filled three bags with what suddenly didn't fit. She was excited about passing each item along to family friends with four young girls. We rushed over to their home, and Elizabeth created a boutique of sorts to make selecting clothes more fun. Elizabeth's joy in giving matched the four sister's excitement as they donned favorite items. A party was born. As often is the case, our children are our teachers. These dancing, bouncing girls were my models of gracious receivers.

Accepting gifts is often harder than giving them. I know a woman who gives gifts that are thoughtful, exquisite, and exactly what the receiver dreamed of. And yet this same woman shifts her eyes and mumbles an insincere, "Thanks," when a gift is bestowed upon her. She doesn't write thank-you notes or acknowledge receiving gifts in any way.

It's hard for the universe to give us abundance when we've created barriers for acceptance. This woman wonders why she is often unable to meet her financial goals, is in debt, and hasn't had a promotion recently.

Accepting the gifts in our lives graciously opens the way for more blessings to appear. We are a link in the chain of giving and receiving. Let's become gracious receivers and help our children accept gifts with gratitude and joy.

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GIVING JOY

"The only thing worth giving your children is joy."

-----Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

Take a moment to answer the question, "What is joy?"

Is it authentic happiness? Is it wonder? Glee? Humor? Free expression? Love? Playing with abandon? Freedom from wanting? No expectations?

What was a joyful experience you had as a teenager? Do you recall laughing with a friend, the arrival of beloved grandparents, riding a horse on the beach, a wide-open summer with no plans, or your favorite dinner served for no reason other than your mom loved you? How might you make each day contain a sliver of joy and magic for you and for your teen?

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~*~WHAT'S NEW~*~

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO THESE DAYS

Lately I've been listening to Steve Halperns OM Zone on my laptop as I work. It transports me to ease and calm. Check out this instrumental CD and I promise you will find a new serenity.

MIMI BLOGS

Click HERE to visit my Blog. You can bookmark it on Google to receive updates of new posts. Do leave comments and suggestions so we can have a virtual conversation. My daughter is traveling in Africa matching schools out in the bush with schools in the U.S. She's a college junior and devoted to Ghana, where she taught for four months at age 18.

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CREATE A YEAR OF DREAMS

Make ALL your dreams come true with the Dream Manifesto!

For YEARS I have been creating vision boards or treasure maps using poster boards and images of what

I would like to manifest in my life...Literally for about 24 years...

Up until now...

Now, since I'm on my computer so much of the time...I've installed this easy to use software, literally I had it up and running in less than 5 minutes, and my images are scheduled to appear with sound...that I've created...every few hours...reminding me of what I wish to focus upon...

It's crazy cool! In fact, I have had to delete most of the images I first put up as they HAVE COME TRUE. Time for new dreams!

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TREAT YOUR TEENAGERS TO STRESS FREE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS!

If your children are in high school, pick up a copy of my book: Don't Worry You'll Get In: 100 Tips for Stress Free College Admission. I believe that knowledge is power and have created various ways to help make the application and admissions process less stressful.

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CREATE A LIFE LIVED ON PURPOSE IN 2009

Busy but Balanced

Begin RIGHT NOW to craft a more balanced life!

This book takes you through the year, week by week...Full of tips, tools, ideas and inspiration for crafting a family life that is calm, centered, and full of joy!

Start 2009 with a committment and intention to craft a life of calm and ease. Dive into this weekly, inspirational guide for living a more meaningful life.

Your own new semester of sorts.

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Spiritual Parenting Thought for the Month (SM) is written and produced by Mimi Doe and Karen Adolphson. If you have any stories to share, questions or comments, please send them to: Editor@SpiritualParenting.com. We'd love to hear from you!

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Mimi Doe, Author of:
"Nurturing Your Teenager's Soul"
"Busy But Balanced"
"10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting"
"Drawing Angels Near"

http://www.SpiritualParenting.com