Anyway, it got me thinking about finding one's passion. For me, I seem to come back to yoga and mystical/spiritual practices. Without diving too much into it, I started practicing yoga when I was in high school, came back to it in my latter years of college, and then rediscovered it before I got married. Only within the past year have I had amore regular practice, but I see the benefits it has brought me, both spiritually and physically. I feel grateful to have found my niche, a hobby that can provide me stress relief, comfort, and a sense of belonging. Whenever I am in a yoga class, I am focused on myself, my movements, my breath, and certainly what the teacher directs us to do; but I focus on me and how I feel. I leave classes feeling inspired, energized, positive, even proud (especially after making it to my weekend classes).
Now, I have not run into anyone who has been negative about my yoga practice, or how I have tried to live a more healthy lifestyle (except when my husband and I gorge ourselves on McDonald's and Taco Bell in one day...ugh), but I feel a need to maintain a confidence in my practice and beliefs. What matters is not what others think about my hobbies or opinions, what matters is solely how I feel about them. I am the one experiencing the ripple effect from my practice. If something is nourishing for my soul and allows me to love and appreciate my body, then I'm going to celebrate that. Not run around with a banner or set off fireworks kind of celebrating, but actually acknowledging it to myself and being grateful for this.
We've talked about this before, but I strongly believe that it is so important to have something that provides fulfillment outside of our careers. Find the thing, or things, or practices, that fulfill you and nourish your soul; own them. Feel proud that you have discovered your passion and are sharing your gift with yourself and the world. If you feel like preaching about it, do it gently and with respect, only to share your happiness and how it is working for you, never with the intention to convert others - truly only to inform and share your happiness. Acknowledge the feeling of balance you find from having a positive hobby, notice the subtle or maybe big changes you feel in your life.
Funny how the universe works...I just opened a Yogi teabag and it says, "May your inner self be secure and happy." Amen to that, little teabag!
xx
S