GRACE Grace is characterized by kindness, warmth, generosity of spirit, compassion, etc. Start this holiday season off by giving yourself some grace. If you can’t, or are unwilling, to be kind and courteous with yourself, your relations will suffer. This doesn’t mean you shirk responsibility and run wild—just give yourself some room to breathe. Allow yourself to respond to situ-
ations as they present themselves instead of reacting out of emotion; this gives you the ability to gracefully and smoothly move through anything that might occur. Another quality of grace is allowing for Divine intervention—letting go and knowing that everything will happen the way it is meant to. Be kind to yourself and know that you are taken care of.
GRATITUDE Once you are in a space of being kind to yourself, you can begin a practice of gratitude and thankfulness. Gratitude is a practice, it is not something that happens a couple days a year. To practice gratitude, get in touch with the things you are truly grateful for in your life. These don’t have to
be colossal, just get present to what (and who) you are truly thankful for in your life. Once this becomes a daily practice, you will notice more energy throughout your day and much less stress. Make sure to start with yourself when you practice gratitude; what are you grateful for about yourself?
GOOD ENOUGH if you adopt no other practice, take this one away with you. No matter what happens with the food, with the events, or with the family, know that it is good enough. Everything will not be perfect, yet, it will be perfect in its imperfection. Let go of the need to make everything perfect or you will drive yourself crazy. Relax. Breathe. Repeat. However you choose to spend this holiday season, enjoy yourself and allow the space for satisfaction. It really is about love, so love yourself first. Then go out and love everyone else—it really does start with you. Of course, these practices will assist you in building amazing relationships no matter what time of the year it is. Make this your best year yet, and have a wonderful holiday season—whichever holidays you choose to celebrate.
GROUND To be genuine is to say what you mean, to be authentic. Now, you don’t have to be mean, you just need to be able to communicate your needs and desires in a way that allows you to be heard and received. This is something that gets tricky during the holidays because we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings; however, if you don’t say what you truly mean, you will find yourself stressed out and frustrated which helps no one. If you are grounded, practicing grace and gratitude, you know what truly matters to you and you can do your best to act from that place. This will allow you to communicate from a caring place, get your needs met and be fully heard.
GATHER
Gather when it is right for you, don’t gather out of obligation. If you show up at every party, you will be exhausted by the time something comes up that you are excited to do. When you finally gather somewhere you want to be, you will not be able to fully connect the way you want to. If you choose to gather when it feels right, only attending the events that are meaningful, you will be able to connect on a much deeper level with the people with whom you have chosen to gather. This is a much more conscious way to come together, and the love you have will be much more fulfilling for all involved. The amount of love you feel has nothing to do with the amount of people at an event or the number of events you attend; what truly matters is the quality of the connection with those around you. 26 | IAE | HOLIDAY 2015
Becky and Cory Center are on a mission to help women be seen, heard, and felt for who they truly are so they can attract their ideal romantic partner. They are the creators of The Relationship Detox, a 21 day detox program that allows you to let go of past relationships while transforming your current ones. Becky and Cory have also created The Embodied Voice Program, where you are able to clear past pain and limiting beliefs out of the body, calibrate who or what you’re attracting, and call in your desires. Becky is currently working to finish her Ph.D, combining several aspects of her background including psychology and therapeutic vocalwork. With over 15 years of group facilitation, she has learned the secrets to effective and compassionate communication - a skill she gladly passes on to her clients. Cory is the creator of Attention Training, a unique meditative style designed to teach your mind to focus and reprogram your thought patterns. He is also a published poet and author; first published at 19, writing has remained a strong passion for him and is the way he has tapped into his authentic voice and expression. Website: www.mantramed.com