Acknowledge Yourself

“What positive things have you said to yourself today? Acknowledge your greatness.” ~ Chalene Johnson

It is so easy to forget to stop and acknowledge ourselves for how far we have come in our lives. Especially in a world that focuses so much on what we lack…

• money,
• prestige,
• trying to “keep up with the Jones’s,” etc.

It is so easy to get caught in the trap of feeling as though we need to “be more” or “do more.”
Five and a half years ago, I was 6 months into owning my power yoga studio, Mind Body Flow Yoga, pregnant with my second child, and a mom of a 23-month-old baby girl.  Prior to opening Mind Body Flow Yoga, I spent years ignoring the conviction that there was something bigger that I was meant to do.
I was too afraid to take the leap of faith in pursuing my dream.

So, I played it safe by working in the corporate world.  I was pretty good at event planning and donor relations work, but I was never really “passionate” about it.  It paid the bills.  It came with a 401K plan.  It came with the sense of “security.”  But, to say I was “fulfilled” in my work would have been a gross overstatement.
As I look back now, I see that this all was a blessing. Going into work every day and essentially “faking it,” ultimately pushed me to realize that something had to change, and fast.  This wasn’t me…wasn’t who I was called to be…wasn’t my purpose.
I was finished with playing it safe and allowing fear to consume me.  I was finally ready to go for my dream.  Since opening Mind Body Flow Yoga, I am living and breathing my dream.  But, is that always how I see my current situation?
Of course not.
On many days, I find myself focusing on how far I still want to go.  I see the places that I want to take the studio or the imperfections rather than taking the time to marvel at the fact that I have built a beautiful community in what is now five and a half years.  And you know what?  Failing to acknowledge how far I’ve come robs me of a lot of joy.
I may not have everything I want in my business, but I’ve come a very long way.

Failing to acknowledge how far I’ve come robs me of a lot of joy. I may not have everything figured out in my business, but I’ve come a long way.

More often than I’d like, I find myself focusing on what I didn’t accomplish in a given day or questioning if I gve my kids and my husband enough attention that day. I doubt my ability to be a studio owner on the days where I’m completely spent and up past midnight (because there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in a day to accomplish tasks with three kids, a husband, a studio, and let’s not forget our first child, our loving pooch, Dewey).  Stated simply, my lie/story of not being good enough, crops up every now and again.
But, I remain so grateful for this practice, which has given me the ability to notice when I am slipping into my lie/story instead of basking in the fact that I am living and breathing my inner YES and my life’s purpose.

This ability allows me to take myself out of negative thought patterns when they crop up and not dwell in that space.
I serve myself none when I slip into my lie/story and in return, I deprive myself of celebrating all that I have accomplished.
I have come so far from being that young woman stuck behind a desk in an office, pretending I loved what I was doing, and being too afraid to leave a sense of security, to go for my dream.
Celebration and acknowledgement is a must!
I would be willing to bet that you’ve made huge progress in your life’s journey as well, but are often too focused on what remains to be done, to see it.
I invite you to start giving yourself credit for the hard work and achievements you have had, both on your mat and off your mat.
The next time you catch yourself saying something like,

• “Gee, it only took me 6 months to get up on my head,” or
• “Yeah…I finally got into Bird of Paradise, but my standing leg was bending”

Stop yourself.
Acknowledge the negative talk. Drop it.
And instead, celebrate your accomplishment.
At the end of class, I will often tell students to acknowledge themselves for showing up to their mat and doing the work and I sincerely mean that.  We must acknowledge ourselves for the fact that we showed up and did the work, instead of lamenting over what we did or didn’t do in that particular practice.  The fact that you showed up alone, is worth celebrating.  It’s so important to give ourselves credit.

I invite you to start giving yourself credit for the hard work and achievement you have had, both on your mat and off your mat.

Whatever you are working towards, and however far you still have to go, I encourage you to take the time to bask in everything you have achieved thus far.
It doesn’t matter what pace you’re moving at, only that you keep moving.  And the best way to ensure that you continue to do that is to cherish each step along the way, be it big or small.
Want to know of an achievement that’s worth cherishing and smiling about?  It is because of YOU, yes, YOU who is reading this article right now, that we even have a yoga community.
It is because of YOU that we have hit this milestone of Mind Body Flow Yoga reaching five and a half years old.
YOU are a part of something beautiful.
YOU are a part of a community and an important part of it at that!
YOU help make it possible.
One of my favorite teachers would always say, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”  YOU make up that whole.  And for that, I thank YOU and I cherish YOU!
Keep smiling and keep celebrating how far you have come.