Life has a habit of presenting us with obstacles and we often require inner strength to negotiate them. Like our yoga practice, it helps to have some flexibility when coming up against challenges and often another way of approaching them can be helpful. This article offers some food for thought...
Feeling Stuck? 4 Ways To Turn Obstacles Into Success
From time to time, we all have setbacks, blocks and obstacles on our path to achieving success and living the life of our dreams. We’re told that we just have to be determined, push harder, and strive to overcome these landmines.
But does it ever feel like you’re forcing a square peg into a round hole? Like no matter how hard you try, you’re completely blocked?
I’ve tried to break down plenty of walls in my day — but it’s the times that I stopped forcing and started allowing that things really started to move for me. Blocks are there for a reason. And, if you pay close enough attention, you might just be able to follow them to the gold at the end of the rainbow.
Here are four ways that blocks can help you achieve overwhelming success in life:
1. Blocks point out where things aren’t flowing for you.
When you can’t write anymore, your inspiration is gone for the day. When you can’t run any longer, your muscles are exhausted. When you can’t think anymore, your productivity for that meeting plummets. Blocks pop up in areas of our life where energy just isn’t flowing. It warns us that something just isn’t working here and it’s time to pack up, take a break, or go a different route. It teaches us how to most effectively use our time and energy.
2. What feels unnatural to you probably feels unnatural to everyone around you.
Most blocks come about because we’re forcing something that was never a good fit to begin with. We’re trying to do things the way we’re told they’re supposed to be done. We’re trying to hide certain parts of our personality because “it’s just not professional enough.” We stop ourselves just short of vulnerability. But, if it feels awkward or unnatural to you, it probably feels that way to everyone around you. So maybe traditional marketing isn’t your thing, but hosting fun parties is. Or maybe you really do need an open relationship for it to work. Whatever the case, blocks point out when things feel unnatural and encourage us to be more authentic.
3. Sometimes the best way to get through a wall is just to walk around it.
We can be so obsessed with an obstacle that we forget why we were trying to overcome it in the first place. Maybe you want a book deal because it will help you get more clients. If the book deal isn’t working, that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to never get more clients. Forget the obstacle and find a new path to your ultimate goal. Many times, obstacles point out that one tiny part of the plan isn’t working, not the whole thing.
4. Lack of resources teaches you how to be resourceful.
When you’re unable to move forward, you have no choice but to get creative. If your business isn’t taking off, it might be time to put together a new program. If your relationship is in the dumps, it might be time to spice things up. The advantage of being pushed to the edge of the cliff is that we learn how to fly. Blocks teach us things about ourselves that we never thought possible and push us to blow our expectations out of the water.
So the next time you come up to a block in your life, consider that maybe it’s there for a reason. Maybe it’s there to teach you what comes naturally to you or where things flow for you. Maybe it’s there to help you figure out just how much potential you really have inside. Maybe it’s there to help you stop taking on other people’s blueprints for success and start building your own.
And, once you realize what you can really accomplish, good luck to anything that tries to get in your way.
Yoga Anatomy
Leslie Kaminoff is a US yoga teacher and author who specialises in Anatomy. His book Yoga Anatomy, co-written with Amy Matthews, is beautifully illustrated with line drawings which clearly show the major muscle groups involved in each pose. Each week I'm going to share one of these drawings here on the blog. I've found this resource really helpful to build body awareness and get a mental picture of what's going on as I move through my practice. This first picture is a familar pose which requires strength and focus - Warrior 1 (or Virabhadrasana 1).
I’ve tried to break down plenty of walls in my day — but it’s the times that I stopped forcing and started allowing that things really started to move for me. Blocks are there for a reason. And, if you pay close enough attention, you might just be able to follow them to the gold at the end of the rainbow.
Here are four ways that blocks can help you achieve overwhelming success in life:
1. Blocks point out where things aren’t flowing for you.
When you can’t write anymore, your inspiration is gone for the day. When you can’t run any longer, your muscles are exhausted. When you can’t think anymore, your productivity for that meeting plummets. Blocks pop up in areas of our life where energy just isn’t flowing. It warns us that something just isn’t working here and it’s time to pack up, take a break, or go a different route. It teaches us how to most effectively use our time and energy.
2. What feels unnatural to you probably feels unnatural to everyone around you.
Most blocks come about because we’re forcing something that was never a good fit to begin with. We’re trying to do things the way we’re told they’re supposed to be done. We’re trying to hide certain parts of our personality because “it’s just not professional enough.” We stop ourselves just short of vulnerability. But, if it feels awkward or unnatural to you, it probably feels that way to everyone around you. So maybe traditional marketing isn’t your thing, but hosting fun parties is. Or maybe you really do need an open relationship for it to work. Whatever the case, blocks point out when things feel unnatural and encourage us to be more authentic.
3. Sometimes the best way to get through a wall is just to walk around it.
We can be so obsessed with an obstacle that we forget why we were trying to overcome it in the first place. Maybe you want a book deal because it will help you get more clients. If the book deal isn’t working, that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to never get more clients. Forget the obstacle and find a new path to your ultimate goal. Many times, obstacles point out that one tiny part of the plan isn’t working, not the whole thing.
4. Lack of resources teaches you how to be resourceful.
When you’re unable to move forward, you have no choice but to get creative. If your business isn’t taking off, it might be time to put together a new program. If your relationship is in the dumps, it might be time to spice things up. The advantage of being pushed to the edge of the cliff is that we learn how to fly. Blocks teach us things about ourselves that we never thought possible and push us to blow our expectations out of the water.
So the next time you come up to a block in your life, consider that maybe it’s there for a reason. Maybe it’s there to teach you what comes naturally to you or where things flow for you. Maybe it’s there to help you figure out just how much potential you really have inside. Maybe it’s there to help you stop taking on other people’s blueprints for success and start building your own.
And, once you realize what you can really accomplish, good luck to anything that tries to get in your way.
Yoga Anatomy
Leslie Kaminoff is a US yoga teacher and author who specialises in Anatomy. His book Yoga Anatomy, co-written with Amy Matthews, is beautifully illustrated with line drawings which clearly show the major muscle groups involved in each pose. Each week I'm going to share one of these drawings here on the blog. I've found this resource really helpful to build body awareness and get a mental picture of what's going on as I move through my practice. This first picture is a familar pose which requires strength and focus - Warrior 1 (or Virabhadrasana 1).
This Week I am Visiting... Primrose Hill, London
I've never been to Primrose Hill before, despite living in and around London for most of my life. I've been through the area when I've visited the Triyoga yoga studio but never stopped to have a wander around. It's an exclusive part of town, with some beautiful houses and interesting independent shops and restaurants. Primrose Hill is to the north of London between St John's Wood and Camden and if you feel like exploring this little urban "village" the nearest station is Chalk Farm on the Northern Line. The Hill itself is a public park which runs down to meet Regents Park, and it offers wonderful views across central London.
This Week I am Making... Pea Soup
This recipe appealed to me because of its zingy, fresh colour - it just shouts out spring energy and vibrancy! Taken from the June issue of Elle Decoration magazine, this recipe is super simple to make and really tasty.
You will need:
4 shallots
4 cloves of garlic
2 litres of stock (I use Marigold Vegetable Bouillon because it has such a good flavour and no hidden chemicals)
1kg frozen peas
In a large saucepan, gently fry four chopped shallots and four cloves of garlic in a dash of olive oil until softened but not browned. Pour in 2 litres of seasoned stock, bring to a bubble and add 1kg frozen peas. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Blitz in a blender until smooth, then taste, adding more seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled or hot, adding some basil or mint leaves, or some ricotta or goat's cheese to decorate.
This Week I'm Growing...Tulips part 2 (or what to do with them now they've finished flowering)
Well my tulips were wonderful in spite of them being planted very late. They have provided pots of glorious colour for over a month now and have been dotted around the garden, nestled in between the abundant Forget-Me-Nots looking lovely. But all good things come to an end and they're losing their petals now and starting to look messy.
The unkempt browning leaves are the main reason I don't plant tulips straight into the border. It's tempting to tidy up and cut the leaves off but resist the urge - the bulbs need the nutrients from the leaves as food for next year's flowers so it's really important you wait until the leaves are completely brown and pull away from the bulb easily.
With clever positioning of your bulbs within the border, the brown leaves can be disguised by the fresh new growth of emerging perennials, and this is definitely an easier way to grow them. However, I prefer to plant my tulips in pots, keeping them tucked away in an unseen corner behind the house until their buds are just about to open. Then I bring them out and position them where there is a gap that needs a bit of colour. When they have finished flowering I give them a little layer of general purpose compost for some extra nutrients and put them back in their hiding place until next year.
Most of them will survive to give a good performance for a number of years, but some varieties do better than others. There was an article in the gardening section of the Telegraph on Saturday on the subject of this which I have linked to here in case you are interested. I have always understood that my favourite orange tulip, Ballerina, won't last for another year and I have thrown them away and bought new in the autumn but this article says that they will. So I will be experimenting this year and keeping them. Fingers crossed.
No comments:
Post a Comment