Today I came across a document that I wrote 5 years ago. I felt mortified to discover that I have had the same dream and plan for so long and yet have done nothing about it. Yet there it was, in writing, with a date stamp. It is not through lack of desire, I want it so badly, but something has been holding me back and I must deal with it, I simply cannot ignore it anymore. My solution: I have decided to just start writing and to believe that this will develop into what I dreamed it would be.
The last 5 years have not been wasted, they have been a combination of study, practice and living that have deepened my knowledge and understanding of life, but they have also been a scapegoat. They have allowed me to make excuses: “I am not ready”, “I don’t know enough”, “I have nothing of value to pass on”, “I am not a good writer and my spelling & grammar are atrocious”, and the list goes on and on. I have gone on with my life believing that the next book, course or podcast will be the one that will finally have me feeling as if I am ready. The truth is when you think like that you will never be ready, there is always something more to learn but today I have decided that I can learn it on the go.
I read a book recently called The Four Desires by Rod Stryker. There is a passage in the book:-
“A wish can come and go in your consciousness, leaving little or no mark on creating a new and better future. I can wish to open my window, yet despite the fact that it opens very easily and is only six steps away from where I am sitting, it still won’t open until my desire for it is strong enough to get me to move out of my seat, walk the six steps, and slide it open. Even though there is hardly any resistance keeping me from opening it, wishing for it to open won’t get it done.”
I read this passage six months ago. It rang so true, yet still I sat, unable to get up. I could see the future that I wanted right in front of me and yet I was stuck to the chair. Today I am going to open the window!
So, what is it that finally convinces a person that it’s time to make a move? How do you get past the fear of failure that stops you from even giving it a go? Where does the bravery come from that allows you to follow your heart? How do you make it happen? Unfortunately, I don’t have a definitive answer. I don’t think there is a one size fits all model, nothing is going to make you get up off that chair until something within you changes. That shift is going to be different for everyone but one thing I can promise you is if you don’t look for it you will never find it and you will continue to sit on the chair while life passes you by, imprisoned by your window that is your gateway to freedom. Do you want to settle for mediocracy, or do you want to open up the window of possibility?
Today I choose to open the window and I am going to write. I will write about my life experiences relating back to the principles of Patangali’s Yoga Sutras. I hope to inspire some thought provoking ideas, to delve into some basic common sense that is so often forgotten and maybe give you a little nudge in the direction of your window. If not, then simply to give some insight into another way to view and approach life. There is no right and wrong, simply different choices.
#makeithappen #bravery #embraceyourfuture #followyourdreams #dream #yogaliving #patangalisyogasutras