It's interesting the bargains we make with ourselves to get us through the tough times. Have you ever had to make a deal with the all mighty to give you the resolve to continue forward? I have....and more than once. To me, 2015 was five years lived in one. I traveled, taught, surfed, studied, held down my day job, held down my marriage, started this website, and decided to strike out on my own. In the final hours of 2015 I realized that if I wanted to manifest success (and this means different things for each of us) I needed to begin to verbalize it. If you want to do a handstand, try screaming "HANDSTAND!" while you attempt it. I guarantee a greater degree of success. If you want inner peace. Say it out loud to yourself several times a day. I guarantee, you you will feel more peace. Scared to try? Do you feel silly? Why? Maybe you are unsure of what your really want. Maybe you are scared of asking the universe for exactly what your heart desires. Maybe you feel, unworthy? Let me reassure you that you are worthy. Let me be the first to say that you deserve EVERYTHING that you want in this life. You are the almighty. Divinity dwells within you as you. Pluck up your courage and become clear with WHAT YOU WANT. This important first step on the road to manifesting your dreams cannot be skipped. Allow yourself to crystalize the thing that will make you happy. Be specific. Be brave. Let 2016 be the year that the inclinations you had last year, became realities this year. I say this as much for you as for me. Get out of your own way and manifest your dreams. Happy New Year!
Tenacity
I sit here at 4:45 AM completely awake and jet lagged from being in Europe for the last 10 days. I was in London finishing my advanced 300 hour certification with The Yoga People. It took me 16 months and three different countries to complete this leg of my yoga journey. The road to knowledge is never a straight one. When I was sleeping in my cockroach infested room in Mexico with my body aching from 10 hours a day of practice, I wondered if I was in my right mind. Who leaves home to be tortured? Even worse, who signs up for round two, three, and four? There has been one word floating around in my head....tenacity.
te·nac·i·ty
təˈnasədē/
noun
the quality or fact of being able to grip something firmly; grip.
"the sheer tenacity of the limpet"
synonyms:persistence, determination, perseverance, doggedness, strength of purpose, tirelessness, indefatigability, resolution, resoluteness, resolve, firmness, patience, purposefulness, staunchness, steadfastness, staying power, endurance, stamina, stubbornness, intransigence, obstinacy, obduracy, pertinacity"she practices her gymnastics routine with the tenacity of a bulldog
The synonyms here really resonate with me. If you decide you want something you must be tenacious. You mush be tireless, resolute, stubborn, patient, and purposeful. Tenacity must push aside fear, insecurity, self doubt, negativity, and any other self sabotaging mental state that can get in your way. Tenacity is saying hello to people who will lift you up, and good bye to people who would tear you down. Tenacity is the power to endure and press on. It is your will power come to life. In yoga this power comes from your core, your center. If you dare to embrace it, you take full responsibility for your life. You become a force to be reckoned with. Now that I have completed this certification, I realize that the lessons learned on the road are infinitely more valuable than arriving at the destination. It is onward and upward from here.
A celebratory hollow back in front of Tower Bridge in London. The sun had just burst through the rain clouds. I took it as a sign.
