Let Your Hearts Be Light
The first night of Hanukkah is tomorrow night. Hanukkah is also called the “Festival of Lights” because it celebrates the miracle of oil for a lamp lasting 8 days instead of just the one it was expected to.
Then we swing into Christmas season, where we celebrate with lights and candles…the season of light is upon us.
Here’s my request to you for the season beginning tomorrow and ending at the new year: give yourself a month off from criticizing yourself. If you’re like most people, a voice inside you tells you just how bad you are. The voice feels free to speak badly to you, no matter how minor your infraction.
You dropped a can of food? “You idiot!”
You forgot to get gas for the car- “You loser! What is wrong with you?”
And worse. Far, far worse.
So try, just try, this month, to silence the voice with a laugh at how ridiculous its accusations are, or with an inner “Shhhhh.” Or maybe, as I do, yell “SHUT UP, PARASITE!”
(Do not do this last suggestion in public places, though. The 72-hour lockup is no place to spend the holidays).
The voice lies. The voice exaggerates. The voice has nothing useful to say to you. Don’t you deserve an inner voice that is at least as nice to you as your outer voice is when you’re talking happily to your loved ones?
(The correct answer is YES, YOU DO).
Give the voice the month off. Let your heart be light.
“The sign of Christmas is a star, a light in
darkness. See it not outside of yourself,
but shining in the Heaven within…”
– A Course in Miracles
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Suebob's Red Stapler 
I’ve really been trying to work on this, but I keep forgetting to, because I’m an idiot and don’t deserve to live–there it goes again. Only now that I’ve actually made an effort to shush it, have I realized how loud that voice has been. How often it wants to pipe up, and harsh my mellow. So, thank you for reminding me not to forget to ignore it.
I know this sounds crazy, but I seem to be genuinely happier when I’m not roasting myself in the fires of self-hatred.
Sounding crazier and crazier,
your old boyfriend.
sorry. an old boyfriend.
Not so crazy.
Love this idea – I hope I can keep it up!
I hope so, too!
I just burst into tears. A whole month of kindness to myself? A whole month of not rolling my eyes at the ridiculousness of myself? But for you, I’ll give it a try.
I did not mean to make you cry!