Everybody’s in this Challenge for something different: flexibility, weight loss, toning, strength, stress-relief or just to prove to themselves that they can follow through on a personal commitment. In other words: self-discipline.
But I imagine some people don’t even really know what they really want out of this; they’re just doing it.
I finished a book last night that has crawled under my skin and wormed itself into my brain. The book is Don Miller’s A Million Miles In A Thousand Steps.
It’s about learning how to make your life better by making your life into a great story.
This is how Don Miller defines “story:” “A person wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.”
What Miller wants us to do is start living our lives with drama and conviction; to start taking risks–not only for ourselves, but for other people. He wants us to be brave and daring and funny and to not know how it’s all going to turn out, but to move forward anyway, to leap, and trust that the net will appear.
And if the net doesn’t appear? If we fall flat on our faces and break our asses and become the laughingstock of our friends and families? That’s great too, because we took a risk, and took our lumps and learned for the next time.
And that colossal failure made an even better story. Maybe not a epic story, (for that we’d have to risk our life for another person) but a story with suspense, drama, and conflict. It was a life lived, rather than wasted in front of the computer or the TV.
But it all hinges on knowing what you want..
So what do you want? No, really. What do you want?–not just for the Yoga Challenge, but for your life?
(I’m asking you, but even more, I am asking myself. )
Don Miller has a blog (big surprise) and on his blog he challenged his readers to come up with “What if” questions and then pick one and do it. If you think this would be an interesting life experiment, check it out here:
http://donmilleris.com/2010/03/25/the-single-most-powerful-question-you-can-ask/
Inspiration Location 
Oh, yum, yum. You know I love that book! And I just checked out the “What If” blog post … I will ponder some dynamic What Ifs over the weekend.
For me, my 1st focus for the challenge is this: to “prove to myself that I can follow through on a personal commitment. In other words: self-discipline.” And, that brought me to the practice tonight, at 9:30 pm, because I knew I HAD to get in 30 minutes before the day ended, because I knew I would WANT to be doing it as soon as I was a couple minutes INTO it, because I couldn’t STAND to think of a stickerless-blank-space on the large pink April calendar poster that I am so proud of (and my sleeping daughter too!) (she will “reward” me with my sticker in the morn!) (we still need to take a photo of this poster and share it with you!!), and I couldn’t IMAGINE letting myself down on this promise. So, yeah, Day 16th achieved!
So, yes, for starters, that’s what I want – to attain some self-discipline that will eek into other areas of my life, along with some calm, clarity & balance. Everything else will just be icing on the cake … the big healthy yoga cake of life that has squiggly icing on the top reading: LUCKY! LIVE! LIFE!
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Kathleen:
“If” is a poem written by Rudyard Kipling, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
It is a short poem: not more than one page. You should really read this poem: I recommend it to you and significant others in your life.
You can’t go wrong with this work of art: it is beautiful. Whenever life becomes difficult–and the moody blues steal over my soul–I read this poem. It inspires me to pick myself up from the dust and get back in the game.
I am sure this poem will resonate with you, because of the “new age” work you are engaged with. “If” is a poem that should be read out loud before each yoga session, and prior to undertaking any transition or prior to achieving a milestone.
“If” has been a source of inspiration and motivation for millions of people all over the world. Although Kipling has passed on, his work is a classic, timeless. Hope this helps. Cheers!
(You can get a copy of this poem by googling it (obtain a print-out), picking it up from your local bookstore, or your local library. Enjoy your life.)
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Archan,
I found “If” downloaded and copied it and will most assuredly read it in class. Wonderful!! Thank you!
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What do i want out of this challenge? Well, I was hoping that I was going to figure out when in my day I could do yoga on a consistent basis. So far it is not happening. I am not giving up on getting in some yoga during the next 12 days, but it is pretty obvious that I have not figured this out yet. Oh, well, there is always April 2011.
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Oh no! You will do your own personal MAY yoga challenge! No waiting an entire year. No way, nuh-uh, keep trying to squeeze those Down-dogs into your day, even if you have to do them in “stores.” (!!)
(love you)
K.
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Ya know what Slave-driver-Mama? A May challenge will be much more doable than an April challenge because part-way through May I am done with the all day job and just teaching online for 12 weeks. There HAS to be time to do yoga when I don’t have to go in to an office for so many hours everyday. This may (ha-ha) be a wonderful idea.
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