2 Minute Motivation| Growth Mindset
Ride the Wave
Embrace the ebbs and flows that life brings and consider looking at the lows from a new perspective.
When life is really great enjoy those highs, but do not dread the lows for we cannot always ride the peak of the wave. The ebb and flow is what life is all about. What goes up must come down. That is the nature of life. My yoga teacher trainer used to say, “don’t blink” partially because just like that in the blink of an eye everything can change and partially because the drishti, or gaze, in yoga helps us to stay focused in the present moment.
“Watch the waves in the ocean. The higher the wave goes, the deeper the wake that follows. Enjoy both — don’t get addicted to one. Don’t say: I would always like to be on the peak. It is not possible. It has never happened and it will never happen. It is simply impossible — not in the nature of things. Then what to do? Enjoy the peak while it lasts and then enjoy the valley when it comes. What is wrong with the valley? What is wrong with being low? It is a relaxation. A peak is an excitement, and nobody can exist continuously in an excitement.” ~Osho
If we look at our failures as lessons and change our perception suddenly we shift a negative into a positive. We are back into a growth mindset rather than stuck in a self-limiting pattern. We can then continue forward momentum. We can look at the valley, or the low, as a time of rest rather than a failure or an obstacle. We can see it as a time to regroup and pause.
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” ~A.A. Milne
I used to worry, but the more that I put my Ashtanga Yoga philosophy into practice off the mat I realize that it truly is a wasted emotion. Once I was able to detach from outcomes and let go of expectation suddenly the need to worry faded away and the amount of stress I carried vanished. I now enjoy life more and am able to stay more present. I realize that most of my worry came from ruminating about events or thoughts from my past or worrying about something in the future. When I stay focused on present moment awareness there is simply nothing to worry about. I am safe and content.
Ride the waves of life. Enjoy the highs, lows, and everything in between. Each day is truly a gift. We can always find something to be grateful for when we look for it. Shift your thoughts and shift your outcome.
