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Nourishing Your Spirit This Holiday Season

Personal Development Coach: Nourishing Your Spirit

The holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving, Hannukah (or this year's "Thanksgivukkah"), Christmas and, before you know it, we'll be ringing in 2014.

In our fantasies, we're the family in the 1950s Coca Cola advertisements, gathered around the tree with homemade cookies and frosty bottles of Coke. We imagine ourselves at holiday parties, surrounded by love, joy, and the promise of a good meal.

Instead, we get wrapped up in rushing from one event to the next, trying for a picture perfect holiday and "shoulding" all over ourselves. We search for spiritual and emotional nourishment, yet only manage the hint of a plan for nutritional nourishment. In fact, the search for nourishment finds us seeking comfort in a bag Christmas cookies, only to find self-flagellation at the bottom of the bag.

A couple of years ago, as we were driving to Chicago for Thanksgiving, I realized that I needed a more nourishing approach to the upcoming season. I wanted to celebrate all of the good of the past year, make a conscious decision about leaving behind all those things I was simply tolerating, and create a nourishing focus to set myself up for an amazing New Year.

While it sounded like a tall order, I knew in my heart that it was possible if I stepped away from the commercial aspects, and looked for something that spoke to my core values.

When I discovered that each candle of an Advent wreath wasn't just a candle, I hit upon something that spoke to everything I desired. You see, each candle of the Advent wreath has a particular meaning: Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love. Those are all tied closely to my core values.

What began as a private exploration of a way to close out the current year and prepare for the year ahead became a series I shared with my clients and the subscribers to my newsletter. I formalized the practice and created The Advent Series — a spiritual journey for the soul exploring the tenets of Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love.

Let me tell you, darling, these are fabulous tenets and universal approaches to nourishing your heart and soul.

The Advent Series isn't religious. Instead, it's a spiritual series of journal prompts rooted in rich tradition and symbols. It's the creation of a personal ritual to slow down, focus on your heart's desires as you say goodbye to 2014  and look forward to what 2015 may bring.

I'd like to invite you to journey through December with me in a way the feeds you.

Every Sunday, you'll receive an email with a journaling prompt based on the meaning of the candle. It's a weekly invitation to explore what you hope for, ways to prepare yourself for your deepest desires, how to make each day a joyful celebration of living, and, best of all, how to fall in love with yourself and your daily life.

Monday through Saturday, you'll receive an email from me, but it won't be something to add to your to do list. Instead, I'll share optional explorations to take your writing deeper and lots of inspirational quotes tied to the week's theme.

Though based on the meaning of the Advent Candles, this course will not be scripture based, as I want to create something that speaks to all faiths.

Because I know that the realities of life mean that you're crazy busy. All you need is an email address and your favorite device. We begin December 1st. I'd be honored if you'd join me.

Leave your "shoulds" behind and join me as we embrace love and nourishment of the soul. Let's celebrate joy without losing yourself in the hustle.

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