Week 4:  2/22/2021

In the Prayer for Serenity, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,” comes first and foremost.  Most things outside of ourselves, we cannot change.  To add confusion at an early age, we grow to comply; we must change because someone says so.  As you grow, you try to change to get someone to act the way you wish, and sometimes it words.  Therefore we grow up believing we need to run around fixing everything  just as we say so, or someone else says so in order for the world to work for us.  Actually that creates dependency on outside circumstances when all the power to embrace life is actually inside of you right in your present moment.  Trying to manipulate outside circumstances is a habitual distraction that distances you from the way that nature is actually unfolding.  Any present moment can seem to be an ugly mess at times, especially in the midst of strife. But one thing is certain - THE PRESENT MOMENT IS ALWAYS PERFECT!  Imperfectly perfect, as I’ve heard a Yogi once say.  Each moment is exactly as the universe intended it, unfolding in its own beautiful way, no matter what circumstances transpire. No matter how hard it is for our minds to believe.

I am a huge fan of the acorn and the tree analogy!  If you imagine the extremely slow process it takes for a giant oak to become massive from the time that he was a little acorn, you understand the patience needed to endure one’s own personal growth.  You cannot easily imagine an acorn feeling all frantic and anxious in the process of rooting down, connecting to the earth, and growing. Rather the acorn simply sits still.  Just as any other element in nature, our growth and change are slow and yield results we cannot easily see or imagine.  Therefore instead of feeling dissatisfied, we should feel excited right where we are.  Instead of impatiently running around looking for more or trying to make sense of life, we should stop and take a breath to connect with the present moment.

More related metaphors can be found in a song from the movie The Greatest Showman. Growing up as a dancer, music has always been a powerful force; now I know it has always been connecting me to the present moment too!  The song, “This is Me” speaks about accepting yourself and the life you have within each moment, despite negative messages others use to attack.  When we believe critical words of others, we are not seeing ourselves and our weaknesses as imperfectly perfect.  My heart relates to the lyrics, “When the sharpest words want to cut me down,” because I heard critical words as a young girl and without realizing it, perpetuated that criticism with the voice in my own mind for years.  It’s hard to believe that was perfect.  Regardless of anyone else’s behavior that you cannot control, the song continues, “I know that I deserve your love.  There’s nothing I’m not worthy of!”  Any time I feel the judgement of others or self doubt creeping in, I allow the lyrics to seep in with my breath as a mantra to remind me of my worth, regardless of circumstances.

The title of the song encourages people that no matter what damage we have experienced in our lives, we should not be ashamed of our weaknesses when it says, “Today, I won’t let the shame sink in,” and “I’m not scared to be seen; I make no apologies.  This is me!”  For decades, I have felt afraid to be seen, without really understanding that completely.  Now I have awakened! Instead of hiding, I’m striving to challenge those fears for the sake of my own growth.  It is the courage that said yes to Yoga Teacher Training, the courage that propels me to create this website, the courage that inspires me to quote my final lines from the song from the bottom of my heart, “I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I’m meant to be.  This is me!”  Please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change and embrace the sometimes messy present moment with the confidence that circumstances are exactly as they are meant to be just as they are.