Whether you’re reading this on Christmas morning before the craziness begins or on one of those time-warp days that fall between now and New Years, 2023 is inching closer and closer. While we reflect on this past year, we know it was undoubtedly filled with unforgettable moments and people that will stay with you forever, along with times that took immense perseverance and willpower to get through. Thinking back to January, maybe it all feels like a blur -- like the year just whizzed by. We invite you to think about how much you really did over these last 12 months. From the smallest moments to the most significant accomplishments, each should be celebrated the same. Remind yourself how full your year truly was. Did you meet someone new who impacted you on a deeper level? What moment did you look around and think, “I’m so happy”? Did you start a routine that you’ve proudly stuck with? Did you check something major off of your bucket list? Really dig deep, go through photos, or make a list of memories; we bet you’ll stumble across something you completely forgot about from this year that will bring a smile to your face. 

Remembering the amazing times from the year is a perfect way to start incorporating gratitude into your life. It’s as simple as thinking of a memory or person and either saying or feeling how grateful you are for that experience. Daily gratitude can apply to everything, whether it's minor, like finding a penny on the ground that reminds you abundance is everywhere, or something major like you got that dream job and your life is headed in a new, exciting direction. If at the least, we work to practice a small moment of gratitude each day right when we wake up and right before we go to sleep (which are some of the most optimal times for subconscious retraining), we’ll see our lives beginning to change and improve. It can look like saying right upon waking up, “Today is full of opportunity; I’m so grateful,” to begin to train your brain to see the possibility that day brings. It’s a practice.

Along the same lines, we can work to apply gratitude to the times in our lives that seem less than ideal when we’re going through them. How can you reframe something that challenges you or seems negative and think about how this situation might actually be benefitting you in some strange way? What doors may open now that couldn’t have before? What redirection can you take, and what change can you make? What if everything truly was working for your highest good? We can then be grateful that, even though we may not see the light at the moment, there is a higher purpose to what we’re currently experiencing in life. And we don’t mean it’s easy or even right to have naive and overly optimistic positivity at all times. Feel what you need to feel because that is the only way towards true healing, but bring yourself back to the gratitude of knowing everything is working for you, not against you. Without the contrast of those hard roads, we wouldn’t be able to understand the true joy and happiness of the “top of the world” moments. It’s the balance between the two that makes life so exciting and ever-changing. So give gratitude for those tough times this year that made you a stronger, more resilient version of yourself. Be grateful for how much you’ve grown, not in spite of these challenges but because of them. Hopefully, you’re looking back at the person you were at the beginning of 2022 and now feeling like you are a much more evolved version of yourself.   

Speaking of gratitude, we are so grateful for everyone in this community, your support of our small but strong business, and for constantly showing up each session working to improve yourselves. When we commit to bettering ourselves, we also better everything and everyone around us. As this year wraps up, we want to wish everyone in our Balance family a very Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and a wonderful start to the new year.