Lifescripts...

Pride.  

Accomplishment.  

Joy.  

Fulfillment.  

Satisfaction.  

Contentment.  

Gratitude.

So often in life it takes a great deal of patience, hard work, persistence, and a whole lotta hiking and mountain-climbing in order to reach a goal or feel a sense of accomplishment in something I've done.  FINALLY, I sit at the plateau, take a breather, dust off, and think to myself, "wow, what a ride that was!"  Other times it's so effortless and fun and QUICK that it almost feels like an illusion or that I'm not worthy of it.  Do they really call this a "job"?

This week has been filled with these emotions and more.  I saw senior citizens sitting in "easy pose" comfortably - laughing - smiling - completely at ease.  (If a person didn't know any better they may not realize how difficult it can be to master a pose with the word "easy" in its name.) I'm talking about people with arthritis and fibromyalgia and cancer and hip and knee replacements, who a mere ten weeks ago cringed at the mere thought of it!  I saw them honor one another - for having the courage to just show up for yoga class and for life, balance in postures on one leg, and R-E-L-A-X (which also takes practice).  And, to somehow have played a small part in them reaching their goals - well, it just overwhelms me at times.

Another one of my students who has been practicing with me for only a little over two years signed up for the first leg of yoga teacher training at my alma mater, Yama Studio, today.  Wow.  What a joy it has been to nurture this seed and watch her grow.  It is truly one of the highest honors I have ever experienced.  Tomorrow I will embark on a new leg of my own journey, having been asked to mentor a new group of student-teachers in training.

Looking back over the years, surely I see patterns that repeat themselves.  We all do, don't we?  Some things have been, are, and will continue to be tough, just tough, for me.   Hopefully I'll learn some lessons along the way that will help make some of them a little easier.  Maybe not.  And, how old will I be by that time? *chuckles* But, there's one thing I've learned for certain...

Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.

This is life.  And it can be hard.  It's full of bitter and sweet.  Most of us will have to work hard for everything we accomplish and everything we have in this lifetime.  So, if we're going to work hard at this - why not choose a livelihood for yourself that reaps the kind of benefits that are priceless?

Seriously.  I wish I'd learned that much earlier...

Thanks, Yama Studio!