Sunday Svadhyaya: Lead with YES

It’s easy to get caught up in doubt and over thinking. What happens when doubt settles and the mind finds ease? Or is that the experience worth searching for?

As I grow to accept everything that has happened in my life is based upon my past experiences, I am reminded how important it is to lead with the sensation of “yes” versus anything else. There is so much unexpected in this life and instead of being fearful of this unknown terrain, coming into the abyss with open arms has eased the struggle. It feels less daunting to make a big decision, to leap into an unfamiliar yoga pose, to initiate the difficult conversation when doubt subsides. With the ability to trust the concept of inviting “yes” into my live to cast a healthy shadow over doubt and negativity, my outlook, perspective, decisions, and thoughts have gotten extremely real. I have a deeper reasoning and purpose to take ownership of my life because only I can show up to do the work!

The majority of my life has been ruled by fear: fear of not doing the task right, making a poor decision, not being good enough, etc. Whatever it was, fears tentacles wrapped its way through. It is a shitty, unhealthy way to live. There was a gnawing inside of my heart that wanted to be true to what I really felt, but it was safe for me to wear the veil that I thought others wanted to see. I was living a life that only showed glimpses of self instead of baring the elements of myself that are conduits of my struggle.

After self inflicted heart-ache and diving head first into a path of yoga, spirituality, and self discovery, leading with “yes” started to make sense. I started to ask myself “why” and “why not”? But in the same token as asking those questions, I had to pause, take a step away from my busy chaotic life to appreciate what my “yes” truly represents.

Through meditation and creating time alone, I learned to pause mid stream of removing toxic people in my life that served as opportunists versus helping me grow; I became extremely conscious about my tendency to be an emotional eater and asked myself, what am I really feeding right now-is it my body that needs the nourishment or is it my loneliness and anxiousness that need to be fueled or settled? Does my career really have to be the defining label of who I am as a person? The list is endless. But it wasn’t until I was ready to do the work, to stop complaining, living in fear and lead with yes instead, that life has opened new doors of opportunity, clarity, and joy. It’s amazing what happens when we decide to get out of our own way. Shine on friends…

Take five minutes to create “pause” by listening to the audio clip of climbing into “yes” with the breath.