No one knows better how to trigger stressful responses in you than your family members. Maintaining your inner peace is often a real challenge at holiday times when you are around family that you haven’t seen in a while.

No matter what your age is now, they expect you to still respond in the same manner to their remarks and antics as you did when you were younger. They don’t understand that you have grown mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. They are comfortable with the “old” you and seek to see that “old” you.

Can you smile at their antics, recognizing their discomfort with change and the fact that they are just reflecting where they are now? Can you honor who they are now with tolerance for they, too, are on their own spiritual path?

You are entitled to the opinion that while your spiritual path is on the “straight and narrow,” theirs is wandering all over the place, but can you respond without making that opinion a judgment? Can you reflect back peace with respect in your voice and manner?

Unconditional love accepts people for who they are. Acceptance does not mean that you aren’t expected to set a better example. People learn by example.

We are all teachers for others, but lecturing and berating others often turns them away. The axiom goes: “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” So, be sweetness and light.

These are some of our challenges as we seek peace within and cultivate true peace in the family and on the planet. Let’s make a plan to help you make it through these holiday times and beyond.

· Remember to do your Grounding every morning and every time you get upset. This will help you to run off your stress and see the world more objectively and less emotionally.

· Do your Brain Balancing every morning so you have the knowledge and wisdom to respond calmly and respectfully.

· Don’t take things personally, because people are really just trying to tell you where they are emotionally.

· Don’t let their drama become your drama.

· Remember, all are on their spiritual path no matter what route they take.

· Set a better example that you want them to follow. Be sweetness and light.

· Accept gifts graciously, because it shows the person was at least thinking of you.

· Set boundaries. This may be the season of giving but that doesn’t mean you have to give in to everyone’s demands of you. Acting out of Guilt is not coming from Love.

· When negativity comes into a discussion, change the subject.

May you find these suggestions helpful in cultivating true peace this holiday and beyond!

If you need to know how to Ground and Brain Balance, go to www.youtube.com/alterra1

Pets are man’s best friends, offering us unconditional love, companionship, distractions, entertainment, exercise, protection, and so much more.

At the same time, they are feeling beings who like stability and someone that they can depend on to fulfill their needs.  They miss us when we are not around and anxiously await our return and greet us with pleasure.

I remember how hard it was on our dog each time that we moved.  He had a heightened sense of awareness while he checked out the new territory.  If anything new came in the house, he would bark at it and check it out for potential problems.

To think that a pet would not have stability upsets me.  Not many people like to continually be on the move, staying in strange surroundings with unknown people. Why would an animal be any different?

Different people are on differing schedules which does not provide stability.  In addition, the pets may not be fed the same diet which can be very upsetting to their digestive systems.

Pets bond with people.  To think that someone might rent a pet and then not see that animal for a while or maybe never again, just opens the pet to heartbreak.

As an energy healer for animals, I have felt the pain and sorrow that pets can suffer.  I can assure you that they have feelings as fragile as our own.

If we truly follow the concept that we all are one, then the thought of treating a pet as less than ourselves is unthinkable.