By Bronwyn Ison
The holidays are my favorite time of year. Our desert weather grows cooler and there is much to celebrate. It is a time to gather with family and friends. It is a time of reflection on the past year. You may ask yourself, what did I accomplish? What new goals will I aspire to attain? Peace, love and joy come to mind. Do you possess these three anchors in your life? If so, it is likely you had a successful year. If you have not adopted all three, it may be the right time to commence practicing… Peace, love and joy.
Here is a big question… Do you love yourself? Take a moment and think if you candidly love yourself. Your authentic answer is crucial. Why? Determining whether or not you love yourself will have a direct affect on how you love and treat others in your life. Allow me to be very clear about loving yourself. I am not talking about a selfish, self-centered or narcissistic love. There is a balanced altruistic way to love your self. Recognizing all of your strengths and what makes you magnificent, will allow you to develop into the beautiful, empathetic human being you are meant to be in this life.
I believe this is an important topic. Each of us struggles with self-love. We are quick to self-loath rather than love thyself. Loving and accepting the authentic you will allow greater success in your personal and professional life.
Many people enact a continuous dialog with themselves that can be harmful. Say
you applied for a promotion within the workplace, and did not receive the position, you may ask your self a few questions. Or, a friendship/relationship did not have a happy ending and it leaves you posing questions about yourself. The hamster wheel continuously spins, “What’s wrong with me? What could I have said differently in my interview? Why do people break up with me? The problem lies within you. You MUST LOVE yourself to realize the answers to the questions. No matter the outcome, you dived in with everything, loved yourself enough, and left no stone unturned.
Each day we have a choice. A choice to be filled with gratitude. Choosing to commence your day joy filled is advantageous to your overall well-being. Studies, tell us the happier you are the healthier you are likely to be in your life. Remember, it can be much mind over matter. Before I plant my feet on the earth I set the tone for my day. I am grateful for another day of living, my children are healthy, have an incredible family, plus beautiful friends. I truly cannot ask for more. You see I make a choice every morning to be joyous.
Live in the present moment. Joy arrives now – not in the past or the future. Sure we can reflect on happy moments, but we do not know what the future holds. It is best to live NOW! Live in the truth, be compassionate, empathetic, accepting, gracious and surrender.
May you find peace, love and joy this holiday season. Don’t venture into another year without these three powerful ingredients.
Bronwyn Ison is the owner of Evolve Yoga. www.e-volveyoga.com 760.564.YOGA (9642)
