December 19 – Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)

This is a loaded question, since I spent many working hours co-writing a self-help book with a woman who helps people heal. In order to write the book, I did many of the exercises she teaches her clients. I learned how to meditate and practiced a mantra and did lots of writing exercises. All of these things helped me heal old hurts. All of these tools helped me be more open to life in front of me. When I was faced with new hurts, I have to admit all of these tools helped, but the best path toward dealing with a hurt meant being open to the hurt, letting myself sit with my fears, feel them and be sad and scared. Then I would move forward on whatever the issue is, dealing positively with it. Then I would feel all of those hard feelings again, cycling through all of them and back to positive forward action.

I am hoping to use meditations, a mantra, and writing exercises in 2011, and I know I will continue to practice this openness, letting myself really feel issues, let go of the icka stuff, and move forward in my life.