I want to write more. I don’t think I’m the world’s greatest writer – but I love to share in this way. There is a magic to writing (versus conversing) that allows the refinement of an idea. Space to think, then write. Research, then write and revise. Reread, then edit. I love that process. Both […]
I have a very strong tendency to save things for later. To not wear something because it’s for a more special occasion, to not eat something because it’s for a more special meal, and even to not say things until it’s a more noteworthy date (big acts of love on Valentine’s Day but not a random Tuesday for example). The basic idea at play is delayed gratification. There are some times when delayed gratification is good. But I’ve been thinking about how if you’ve gotten a bit too good at it, the delays just might back fire and the satisfaction is voided.
The other day I was a student in a Vinyasa class. I was in the back corner of the room when the teacher led us into a long hold of a particular twist. I was really surprised at my view as I turned and took in a row of other students. Even knowing all I know about the differences in anatomy and how that impacts our asana practice, I don’t think I have ever seen a more perfect view of how much it matters.
“Yoga is the practice of getting comfortable being uncomfortable.” It’s one of my favorite quotes—even if I can’t quite trace its origin. I’ve seen it attributed to yoga teachers, Navy SEALs, and even Luvvie Ajayi Jones in her TED Talk. Its popularity across such different worlds tells me one thing: learning to sit with discomfort reaches far beyond the edges of the yoga mat.
I’ve been in a space of constant input and output. No wasted minutes. A podcast while driving. Saying yes to everyone else as often as I could. Spiraling in the shower as I considered all the things that could go wrong if I missed something. Reading more and more books but retaining less and less of their content. Zero quiet minutes.
A business I work nearby has recently ceased to do business, and the marquee now says: “closed for good”. The phrasing got me thinking. I know in this sense it is meant to convey the finality of the closure, but it gave me pause – what if it meant the closing was good?
There is an old proverb that falls on the humorous side: One person asks another “How do you eat an elephant?” and the reply is “One bite at a time”. It’s got many variations, is often referenced, frequently found in memes, and a wise reminder that big things can be accomplished with lots of small steps.
I love nonfiction. It makes me feel smarter, informed, and if knowledge is power, then powerful too. I love the active feeling of learning, of feeling like I’m a better person for having read the thing. And for a long time, I only felt that way about non-fiction, and maybe biography/memoirs. My own inner critic […]
I know I’m in trouble when I start getting sick, particularly getting sick with weird little things. I am pretty in tune with my body and when I get tired, my nose runs. It’s like somewhere in the early part of my existence my brain noticed that I would lay down and rest when my […]
(To listen to this instead, click here) There are two times of year that feel big and bold to me, January and early September. Both are completely cultural time markers with either the happy new year party horns seeming to ring in my ears and urge me on to wild resolutions, or the back-to-school reminders […]