Practical Ways to Bring Enchantment into Your Life (continued)

by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

Later on today, write down your five positive remarks about yourself. Put this piece of paper in your wallet or in your pocketbook. Read it to yourself at least once a day, for a period of one week. After a week, give yourself a mental hug, or some other form of congratulations, to emphasize to yourself how great it is that you have these positive traits. We all need practice in confirming what is good about ourselves. Seeing yourself in a positive light is a critical step in living a life of Enchantment.

Some of our best pathways for enchantment come from the hopes and dreams that we had as children. Relax, and let your mind wander back to a time in your life when you were eager and excited about life. For example, perhaps you were a Brownie or a Cub Scout, and you imagined yourself becoming a Girl or Boy Scout some day, winning every Scout badge possible. Or maybe, because you like nature, you often imagined yourself climbing high in the trees. You may never have actually done these things, yet now you can still remember the good feelings that you had either actually doing, or thinking, about these things.

Rather than holding on to the disappointment or anger that may have come from unrealized dreams, think about three things that you can do as an adult that could result in your having some of these same positive feelings.

For example, perhaps a course in rock-climbing might help you get back in touch with the fearlessness you felt as a child when you imagined yourself climbing tall trees. Or perhaps it is now time for you to sharpen your skill at some sort of craft, and enter a competition. Or maybe its just time to order a gourmet-cooking magazine, and to have the pleasure of looking at someone else's recipes.

As adults, we don't always need to be a winner. It's enough just to enjoy a hobby or an interest. One of the gifts of Enchantment is that you can make a variety of decisions about yourself, sometime choosing to be highly competitive, while at other times you may choose to be a spectator.

Whether you relax by blowing bubbles, or by wishing on a star, fishing, or roller skating, the magical yet obtainable ingredients of Enchantment lie within each of us, waiting for you to practice them an to apply them, again and again. Give yourself permission to feel good again, by recognizing the true strengths and value you have as a unique human being. Welcome to your Enchanted Self!

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