Tuesday Truth: Start Where You Are

One of my favorite yogic concepts is the idea of starting where you are. This concept is as basic as it sounds—literally, no matter what you’re doing, just start where you are.

Often, we understand this concept on the yoga mat, “Well, I can’t do forearmstand yet, so I’ll stay in dolphin, because this is where I am right now and you’ve got to start somewhere.”

Makes sense.

Yet, when it comes to life off of the mat, we tend to lose connection with (and understanding of) this concept.

For instance, I often hear people say that they want to start a blog, but they don’t know where to start, or that they already feel so behind that they can’t bring themselves to do it—because they know that it wouldn’t be as good as so-and-so’s blog, which has been around for 10 years (10 years!).

Or people say that they want to start yoga, but they aren’t flexible enough (classic!).

Or, another one of my favorites: “I want to start my own jewelry line/business/etsy shop/store/yoga studio, but I’m not ready yet because I don’t have the ____ (fill in the blank: knowledge, client base, products, creations, finances, time, courage, etc.).

Sure, sometimes these excuses are real and legitimate and need to be honored, but sometimes, they stem from our fear of starting where we are.

People talk about missing the boat when it comes to opening their own yoga studio, CrossFit gym, food truck, clothing shop, website--but the thing is, it’s never too late to start where you are.

Recognize this? I struggle with it all of the time.

I’ll visit a blog that’s been around for years, or a longtime artist’s website, and I’ll start to compare and get down on myself. “I have so much to do to get to this point! Will I ever be as successful as this person? Do I even have it in me to succeed in the same way?” But the thing is, that person that I’m comparing myself to, they had to start somewhere, too.

Woah. Can you believe it? They had a blank page at one point, too! This is what I have to tell myself. It’s amazing how often we seem to forget that we’re all just living life, trying to make the best of the moment while dealing with bills, license renewals, appointments, finding our keys, raising kids, moving, changing jobs, and all of our other responsibilities. This is where we are. 

Another yogic text of mine--I can't locate it or find the author to attribute it to (sorry!)--says that our entire lives have led up to this very moment. That this moment is where we’re supposed to be. That this very moment is perfect. 

Isn't that a nice way to think about it? 

But the thing is, you’ll never get where you want to be if you don’t start now. If you don’t accept your current state of being, and then just start where you are. 

I encourage you to play with this concept this week. How does it apply to your life right now? 

I'll leave you with one final thought from the Benjamin Button Screenplay by Eric Roth:

For what it’s worth: it’s never too late, or... too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of.  If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.