“You can never cross the ocean
until you have the courage
to lose sight of the shore.”
–ANDRÉ GIDE
Of the many inspirational yoga teachers, I’ve had over the years, one gave a dharma (teaching) before class that particularly stayed with me. She talked about what motivated her when she didn’t feel like doing her personal yoga practice. First, BB told herself to unroll her mat. Once it was on the floor, she decided to just go and sit on it. Then she told herself that stretching a bit would feel good. As you can imagine, the next thing she knew, BB was enjoying a full practice.
It’s not just fatigue, laziness, or a long To-Do list that keeps us from doing what we know is good for us. As this quote suggests, sometimes the obstacle to our goals is fear. We feel so daunted or overwhelmed that it’s hard to know even how to begin. We feel stuck, even frozen, making it that much harder to get started. This is when it is crucial to figure out first steps.
Trust yourself. Take a deep breath. Then take that first crucial step. You’ve now overcome the inertia that has held you back. You’re actively on your way to achieving your goals.