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Newsletter |
| Volume 1, Issue 10 | November/December 2005 |
In this issue:
" Elizabeth and Anne have created a safe haven to explore our inner selves through innovative, fun, and though-provoking exercises. I came away formulating " the next step" with an enthusiasm and burning desire to put the plan in action" " Even when you think you know it all, you will learn so much more about yourself becoming more self-aware" " I think that being younger and going through these processes will help me with major decisions that I have to make. I think that many people around my age (24) would benefit immensely from this type of self-reflection - I know I did. It helps in all areas of life, such as career, personal development and relationships. I feel like taking this time is really proactive" We are planning another retreat in Spring 2006. Stay tuned for more information
" To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven . " Women's Circle: Come and join us and invite your friends to our ongoing monthly women's circle held the third Tuesday of every month. Take the opportunity to learn, listen, share and laugh. The evening focuses on women's challenges, strategies and energizing exercises to promote happiness and well being. The next Women's Circle is January 17, 2006 from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at 190 Robert Speck Parkway in Mississauga. As part of our 9 step series on Creating and Manifesting Well-Being, our topic for this Women's Circle is:Principles of Attractions and Manifestations ... ( of what you want !) click here to register It's a Wonderful ( and stressful!) Time of the Year Written by Anne Bourke The December holidays, whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, can be a stressful time of year. Up to that moment you may be balancing aspects of your lives quite well. Then the myriad of tasks and responsibilities to make the holiday a happy and memorable occasion calls for more time, effort and money and out the window goes our well-being. We become obsessive and want that perfect holiday gathering – a la Martha Stewart ... and although the house may be perfectly decorated with the perfect presents under the tree and the turkey just perfectly roasted, we certainly feel less than perfect with all kinds of stress symptoms. A friend of mine is actually having her counters changed 3 days before Christmas. Apparently home renovation companies are the busiest in December. And holiday stress does not affect women only. It also affects men. Why do we do this to ourselves? It has happened to me for years! It seems that in the muddle of all the preparations I suffer from an acute case of Superwoman Syndrome! Suddenly nothing is good enough and although my expectations are normally pretty high, at this time of the year, they become the size of Mount Everest . I ignore my body when it is out of gas and push down stressful feelings such as worry, guilt, insecurity and anger and become one of Santa's pleasing and perfect helpers. When over-thinking takes hold, my brain spins with ideas for presents, baking goodies, decorating everything that stands still long enough to be draped and writing lists, cards and cheques!! As you can imagine, once the excitement of the season has passed and it's time to tuck away the rituals and decorations for another year, I feel like I need a holiday! Four major stressors in our daily living can be magnified during the holiday season. They are overload, conflict, change and ambiguity (uncertainty). We experience overload when we take on too many tasks and we multi-task for too long. Most of us already feel over-burdened in our lives without all the additions required for the holidays. While the Holiday Season is the ultimate time to be grateful for the loving people in our lives, it is often a conflictual time when partners disagree on how much money to spend, who is on the guest list and the favourite one … are we spending Christmas with your parents or mine! During the holidays our daily typical routines are set aside and we experience major changes. There are more social functions, rich foods and later bedtimes. Our minds are racing while our bodies are lagging! Even little ones find this difficult and act accordingly. And then we go back to the perfection factor. Trying to decide what to buy, what to cook, what to wear can make the most confident person wonder whether they ever made a good decision! Is there another way to enjoy the holiday without it taking such a toll on our ability to live in well-being? Here are some suggestions from a recovering holiday frenetic:
Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Happy Kwanzaa! What are you grateful for? Don't sweat the small stuff - Richard Carlson. There are other "don't sweat the small stuff" books in the series. There is actually a "don't sweat the small stuff for men" and " don't sweat the small stuff for women" Women's Retreat “Be Inspired to Re-Create Yourself Retreat for Women" A weekend just for you: to relax, rejuvenate and energize yourself. A weekend of self-discovery, to spark your creative impulse, to move forward in your life towards well-being on all levels. A weekend to create possibilities, imagination, insights and a focused plan of action. click here for more information Relationship Renewal A four-week course for couples that benefits the relationship ... click here for more information Self-development Course A 4 week group interactive course that provides self-awareness and understanding of your anger style, the purpose of your anger, naming your stressors and practicing constructive strategies to make changes at all levels: mentally, physiologically and emotionally. ... for more info, click here |
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