red dot little duck

Investigating the realm of decision-making can be tricky. The landscape of instant gratification and delayed consequence invite both positive and negative outcomes ranging from the insanely beautiful to horrifyingly awful. And… everything in between.

Photo by Elizabeth Crozier – Thank you!

Little decisions are made everyday. Ones that govern how I am going to live. How I am going to present myself and cultivate my individuality; my place in the world. I do my best to make healthy decisions that support my goals. Support my growth, my practice and study of yoga. Even though I don’t always succeed, I still try.

There are times that I choose instant gratification over the knowledge of the consequences. Sometimes it’s for the sweetness. I am human. I do love cookies. Even though, they mostly leave me feeling not so swell. Other times it’s in avoidance. Doing what is easy rather than what is actually right or will produce the fullest benefit. In fact any choice made out of the desire for an immediate result typically doesn’t settle well. Physically… emotionally. And that’s not what I want.

What do I want? To live well and enjoy my life in a real, simple, light way while helping others find the same in themselves. So, I do my best to live honestly and wisely. Even when the “good” decisions are often the hardest to make and maintain. Even with something as beautifully rewarding as Ashtanga yoga.

The benefits of a regular yoga practice may not be as immediate as one might always like. There are days that it’s amazingly challenging to even get on the mat. We are busy people. Studio practice can be seen as a luxury to many. It could be that the only option is hotel room or home practice which have their own sets of difficulties, however you have to get there, what ever that place looks like, the end result is a super positive rather than a negative. Pretty much always. It goes so much deeper than a moment with a sweet treat. Deeper than daydreaming or fantasizing of what my life could be like or what I could be doing elsewhere. It shows me what I am capable of, the things I hide from and my resistance to change. It shows me that I am more than I give myself credit for. Most of all it opens me up to something far more beautiful than anything I once thought possible. That’s why I do it everyday. It’s incredibly challenging, revealing AND inspiring.

From somewhere in the Facebooks… What a rad image!!

There is a reason that it’s difficult to look inside. If it were as easy as it is to get a tasty treat would it mean as much? I’m not sure it would. Somehow the effort required makes it so much more satisfying and meaningful. Real.

Dig deep. Cultivate the power to make choices in support of your goals and benefit from the positive outcome. The work you do to make those choices will bring you towards your truest Self. It may not have the instantly gratifying effect of a chocolate chip blondie but the lasting benefits are much, much sweeter. And a thousand times more powerful.