As we come to the end of 2020, let us all take the time out to express our gratitude for the highs and lows of the this year. Let us all continue to be intentional with practicing gratitude and thankfulness. Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.

This story was written by Charles Dickens many years ago. It tells the tale of a mean-spirited old who is visited by the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley informs Scrooge that the spirits of Christmas past, present and future will visit him and show him is current fate. In the end Scrooge realizes the errors of his ways, and is overwhelmed by the chance he has to redeem himself and so he changed into a better man.

Having compassion for oneself is really no different than having compassion for others. Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings.”, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings. This week let us all try to practice self-compassion by; 1 practicing forgiveness of self, 2 employ a growth mindset, 3 express gratitude, 4 find the right level of generosity, and 5 learn to be mindful. Remember you are worthy of love!

“Don’t be afraid of change. Instead accept it gracefully” The story is told of the choice an Eagle makes when it gets to the age of 40. The Eagle has to decide whether it would like to continue living or die. If the bird chooses to live it must go through a painful transformation that will take five months. The Eagle will pluck its beak out, then it will pluck out its talons and finally it will pluck out its old-aged feathers. Once this process is completed the Eagle is able to live for thirty more years! To survive life we must get use to change. If an Eagle can make such a decision at the age of forty— why can’t we?

Sophrosyne is an ancient Greek concept of an ideal of character and soundness of mind. When this concept is combined in one well-balanced individual it often leads to other qualities such as temperance, moderation, decorum, prudence, purity and self control. The idea of this harmonious balance is the basis of two famous Greek sayings “nothings in excess” and “know thyself”. We often see the inverse of this principle in our own lives when we over indulge, maybe it is over eating or staying up too late. We do not like to do things that are good for us. I like to compare the concept of Sophrosyne to that of a muscle. Over the years we have all been training this muscle with our bad habits that eventually become a part of our character. The human experience is a constant battle between desire and rationality. In light of this, if your aim is to become a well-balanced individual you must learn how to conquer oneself. This week let us all try to cultivate new healthy habits, try to eat better, try to be careful of the things we watch and read, and try to watch our words and thoughts. As the Greek philosopher Plato said “ For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories”.

“Sticks and stones will break my bones, but the words you say will never hurt me” As a child, I believed that physical injury was more painful than psychological or emotional injury. Today I realize that words do hurt, studies show that positive and negative words affect us on a deep psychological level. This reminds us that whatever your are thinking and feeling right now in this moment, is creating your future. The words “I Am” are considered to be two of the most powerful words that a person can say. These words define who we are to ourselves and to everyone around us. I am successful, I am beautiful, I am healthy, I am talented, these are some of the positive words that we can feed our souls first thing in the morning through the use of an affirmation. This week I want to challenge each of you to write an affirmation every morning. It will change your mood and aid in overcoming self-sabotaging and negative thoughts.

The Book the Great Gatsby is one of the most iconic books that I have ever read. Today, I wanted to share some of the lessons that I have learnt from this novel. 1. The importance of not taking things at face value “ whenever you feel like criticizing anyone just remember that all the people in the world have not had the advantages that you have had.” 2. Reflect in order to try and figure out what you truly want from life. Know what makes you happy and understand your own definition of success. To do this one must truly understand oneself. 3. Learn to move past the one that got away. Time is a valuable asset so it’s best not to chase something that may never exist. 4. Do not killing yourself to fit in. Be true to who you are. No matter how grand your lifestyle is people will only remember you for the impact you had on their lives.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that “ self- deception is an awful disease and eyesight a lying sense”. Many times in life we make decisions solely on the things that we see and hear. However, can we really believe everything that we see? From time to time our brain plays tricks on us, our eyesight and hearing cannot be trusted. We live in an age where technology is constantly changing, with the advent of fake news, digital editing, and special softwares that promote deception. We all owe it to ourselves to stop talking things at face value. This means checking our baises, seeking more knowledge and not jumping to conclusions. After all “we tend to see things not as they are, but as we are”, therefore we cannot believe everything we see.

I want to welcome you to this week’s episode of La beauté de la vie, the beauty life is. The topic of today’s podcast is the beauty of Autumn. Of all the seasons I think autumn is the most inspiring of them all. I enjoy watching the trees change colors. This season blazes with hues of gold, red, yellow and orange. Autumn has a certain special appeal, there is a freshness that comes with the cooler weather and the promise of new beginnings. This season is one of transition and change. Autumn reminds us of the importance of letting go. It shows us that within the cycle of life there comes a time to let go and release those things that are no longer serving us. «  When you are finished with something, let it go ».