Empowerment means believing in yourself – that no matter what challenges or obstacles you are faced with, you will be able to learn from them, grow from them and accept them as necessary life experiences. In doing so, you are demonstrating true strength, security, and personal power, and showing that you will never give up on what you want to achieve in life.
Over 15 years ago, my personal goal was to start a wellness consulting company. Throughout the years, I faced my share of adversity, and sometimes felt this dream was impossible to achieve. But, looking back, I can sum up this journey into one photo – the snapshot of me doing the Vrksasana yoga pose (or “Tree Pose”) at the top of my website. Yes, that’s me in that photo, standing in the middle of Swan Lake on a rock approximately 30 feet from shore. I’m choosing to share the story of the “Swan Lake Stance” in the introductory issue of this newsletter because it sums up what I believe to be the mission of my company: to help others live in wellness and become truly empowered individuals.
It was a cool morning in Montana, and my friend and I were out on a small boat, exploring the beautiful lake and the stunning mountains surrounding it. Suddenly, we came across a tiny rock jutting out of the water. We quickly learned, however, that this rock was merely the tip of a much larger natural structure underneath the water. With the wind, sun, water and nature inspiring me, I decided to take a picture of me, standing on the rock, doing a yoga pose.
The idea was much easier said than done. Swimming out to the rock in cold water, finding a place to balance my feet on the bumpy exterior and trying to find a comfortable pose were all proving to be quite difficult challenges to overcome. In addition, the 18 foot long boat was unstable, and my friend needed to keep it very still and steady in order to capture the picture at the right time without being out-of-focus.
Over the course of two days, we tried various ways to capture the perfect shot. How did we finally achieve it? It took trying different poses until I’d found the most comfortable one. It took the support of another, and belief in myself to pursue the goal regardless of what obstacles we were faced with. And it took one, calm, composed and deep breath, right when I was at the brink of frustration and about to give up, to get into the pose that would end up making the perfect picture.
I didn’t realize at the time, but the Tree Pose ended up being a very meaningful choice for this photo. A definition of this pose (from Journey Into Power by Baron Baptiste) reads: “The only trees that survive hurricanes are the ones that have deep roots and the supple strength to bend with the storm winds. Equanimity allows you to stand tall and secure no matter what storms life brings your way.” Like a tree in a storm, sometimes you may feel overwhelmed by all the demands, struggles and obstacles life throws at you. Looking back, I cannot help but feel that this story, and photo, were meant to be captured to represent not only what I experienced while pursing my dreams, but the challenges many other people face while trying to achieve their goals each and every day (like taking this yoga shot!).
My advice as a result of this endeavor? Find ways to remain calm and centered as much as possible, take simple steps toward your goal and celebrate the small successes you achieve. And finally, never lose sight of your goal. When faced with challenges, take a deep breath, let go of everything but the present moment and just go for it. That’s the key to living a life of wellness and achieving the success you desire.
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