A life changing graph for you, and a thank you to all.
In meditation have been pondering three words. ‘Simply begin again’. The idea that when I lose my focal point of the meditation (for me, the breath, and yes, I lose focus all the time), I notice, I smile upon myself and I simply begin again. No big deal. It’s good stuff. I feel I have had many reminders to simply begin again in life lately.
I have been writing a new yoga book. It’s due to be delivered to the publisher in March. But things have got in the way. School holidays meant writing slowed to a trickle. Then my youngest caught chicken pox and things took another swerve as both kids went into extended family quarantine just in case. And like right now, as we have found ourselves without an au pair right at crunch time. 6 weeks to go before the book is due and I have lost a day and a half in the work week. It means it’s back to basics as I cook for the family 7 nights instead of 5. It’s now 5 days of school drop offs and pick-ups instead of 4. Just as I am due to be polishing and proof reading daily, the book has had to go untouched for five days straight – Don’t you just love the irony of getting stressed while writing a book which is essentially about how to cope with stress? I know when I get to it, I will just smile upon myself an d simply begin again. But here’s something that has helped me regroup and lifted my spirits.
What’s saved me has been mental snapshots of a graph I saw last month at a business planning day/wise woman’s seminar. One wise woman, Susan Kath presented three graphs which have taken the valve off the pressure cooker of personal expectations and I would love to share them with you.
In younger years, here is what the road to success was meant to look like.
The assumption is the plan is like a map, that we know the terrain, and we know what’s coming at us. But the unknown sneaks in. As a mum, or responding to life events, this second graph is what the road felt like sometimes.
And finally, check out the third graph below (this is the life changing bit). Here is what my truth really is:
A much softer line. The curves seem perfectly appropriately feminine for a mum in business. It shows me you still get there in the end as it turns a rigid line into a beautiful wandering path. Because, yes, we were in quarantine with the pox and I got to play with my daughters at home more and it was really, really nice for all of us. I was reminded kids don’t need exciting event filled days, and that they really just want time with their mum . And because yes, we have no home help at the moment but I get to see my youngest at her swimming lesson instead of missing out every week. And yes, the whole family bonds by chipping in a bit more.
This graph helps put into context the whole of my business journey over the last three years. As a mum of young kids it’s been a completely different experience to my journey before. I have run health studio’s two ways – with kids and without – and navigating the path of self employment takes a totally different route when you have kids. Because the kids come first. School pick up always trumps picking up props after class. And dinner planning competes with class planning both of which beat fresh quarter planning. Stocking the larder generally enjoys priority over taking stock of anything on that corporate ladder. It’s been at times frustrating and I have had to learn a whole new way of being around the business. What used to take a week now may take many months as priorities shuffle, things get pushed down the line. I realised that when I missed a goal, because my self esteem tended to get caught up in it, it felt like failure. But the big thing is that where before I felt I had control, I have learned that control is just an illusion and I have had to get comfortable with that. My business path as a mum has meant a continual letting go, yet fortunately the love of my craft and great support of the teachers has meant the business has blossomed and I can find a new level of comfort around things that I could never have coped with in my 30’s. And it’s been great.
And by the way, thank you everyone for prebooking your classes on line or on the app which means the difference between our teachers getting back to their families in good time, or the alternative, which really can happen, 25 minutes of computer inputting after class. I also couldn’t do it without your vital feedback in other ways too. The energy we teachers receive back from class participants does really feed us. So thank you thank you thank you – I couldn’t do it without your support.
Thank you, kind people. May you simply begin again with grace and ease.
-Christina