Finding Inspiration

Do you ever find yourself reflecting on where you are at in your life and thinking, wow, I need to shift things up?! It seems you can move along somnolently in life and before you know it years have gone by. It’s kind of freaky.

If you are at a stage in life where you take the path of familiarity 99% of the time because it’s the safer or easier thing to do, you may be in need of an inspiration shake-up.

There are definitely benchmarks in life when change occurs easily and we don't need much inspiration to pivot into the new. Think about graduating from college, quitting a job you hate, starting a new job, moving in with someone, getting married, retiring from a job, for example.

And sometimes more tragic events force change upon us - the death of a loved one, the diagnosis of a disease, the loss of a partner are examples.

But when life is chugging along at a fairly even keel, it may seem that things are just fine. But are they? You don’t want to look back decades down the road and think, jeez, maybe I shoulda…

Yoga can be inspirational. One of the most powerful texts to motivate and challenge you to think about inspiration, change and action is the Bhagavad Gita. If you’ve not yet had the opportunity to explore this teaching, I highly recommend you do so. It’s one of the texts of the tradition of yoga you can (and maybe should?) read once a year.

In a nutshell, warrior Arjuna is having a crisis of faith with regard to going onto the battlefield and confronting the enemy, many of whom are his kin. The chariot drive, Lord Krishna, provides counsel to the troubled Arjuna. His words are some of life’s most cherished teachings: when to act, when to not act; identify your duty and do it with excellence; know your dharma (purpose) and live it, rather than trying to live someone else’s.

I swear a [re]reading of the Bhagavad Gita can easily transform your approach to living.

The reason I’m bringing this topic up now is that I’m at one of those life pivotal points. Last Saturday marked the one-year countdown to being eligible to retire from the job I’ve been in for 24 years. Exciting times indeed!

I know I’m blessed for I get to leave a job that has served me well for almost half of my life with a generous pension. I’m grateful that my job afforded me the opportunity to do my master's yoga training; to study yoga for years with living sages of the tradition, and to travel to India and other locations with my beloved yoga community. I won’t miss the job though. Trust me.

Still being a youngish middle-aged man, I’m taking this opportunity to spark some inspiration about the next chapter of my life. For me, retirement at this stage is not about putting my feet up and relaxing or travelling the world (never really had that bug, though I appreciate many do). I’m eager to teach yoga full-time and really immerse myself in guiding others.

But I want more than that. Teaching yoga is really a given, right? So my thoughts have really been focused on two inspirational sparks: 1) building up my online yoga business with the help of a marketing professional, and 2) relocating to a new location to reinvent myself.

Working with a marketing professional is something I would not have considered in the past simply because I had a scarcity mindset - I couldn’t afford such a luxury. Rather, I spent bundles of money on a property that ultimately failed; I concocted a rebranding exercise a few years ago that also failed; and I made many decisions about my yoga business that were - to be kind - growing pains.

With a spark of inspiration - and a leap of faith - I’m happy to say that’s all shifted. I’m pleased with the results of the marketing investment I’m making in myself and my yoga business. I hope you are too!

The second spark of reinventing myself is both inspiring and terrifying. I’m inspired to jump into the unknown and explore my potentiality and I know the biggest shifts in my life occurred when I’ve moved to a new city. It’s time for that big shift again.

New locations are teeming with excitement and inspiration. Making new friends; discovering nature; finding bistros and cafes that make you smile; exploring neighbourhoods and finding the gems within, are examples of new location inspirations. And there’s something lovely about creating new routines in a new hometown.

 I’m pumped to make a change. The beauty of my online yoga business is that I can run it from anywhere. And as it grows, I will create retreat and workshop opportunities where folks can come together face-to-face from time to time to share, learn and grow together.

Over the next few months, I’ll be mapping out the move. Come next spring I’ll high-tail it for Victoria. I love Vancouver Island: the climate, the vibe, and the stunning natural beauty. I feel a connection to the place. I know it will be home.

As we move into stage two of vaccinations and the post-pandemic new normal takes shape, you have a great opportunity to get inspired. You were forced to do things differently during the pandemic. Maybe some of the changes you’ve adopted are worth keeping. And maybe there are new shifts that will make the next stage of your life an inspired one!

If you are ready to make some inspired shifts in your life but are feeling hamstrung, it may be time to reach out for your free 30-minute consultation.