One day I was sitting in class waiting for all the students to arrive. As is often the case, I have many interesting conversations during this settling-in period and had one on this day. I was remarking to one student how working on my fundraising effort was challenging for me as it had me undertaking things that pushed me right out of my comfort zone. She replied, “I have that experience as I’m working on my breathing as I’m swimming…that’s really challenging to me”. To this, I replied, “Wow…now I would find THAT comfortable” and she replied, “Wow…I would find undertaking fundraising comfortable!”. We then both replied, “maybe we could switch!”
I guess that’s why it’s called the comfort zone. It made me realize more fully how some people would find marketing, sales and delegation a breeze. For them, it’s easy and fundamental whereas for me it’s a monumental hurdle. On the other hand, my life has been littered with physical experiences of movement and exploring the outer edges and limitations of my body. Working on breathing during swimming is easy and fundamental in my life.
This challenge continues to open my eyes to a broader understanding of other people’s experiences and expertise. It reminds me that we can all possess the mind of a beginner no matter what our chronological age might be and that our learning never ceases.
What impresses me are those people who continue to open their minds and hearts by endlessly seeking to learn and expand their own experiences. I feel fortunate that I have three nanogenerian (in their 90’s) clients. They all have a few things in common. The most noticeable is that they are all still fully engaged in life, both mentally and physically. Two of them still play tennis, one of them is still working and all of them possess this sense of curiosity about how their life continues to unfold.
It’s a great lesson that’s written in the yoga sutras, that of self-study or svadhyaya. It can be interpreted in many ways, but it reveals itself to me in the form of always being open to learning. To consciously take action in seeing what lies within and what is next in our lives. It’s the commitment to learning that opens the doorway to fully understanding ourselves and perhaps challenges our belief system of who we believe ourselves to be. When we begin to ask these deeper questions, we begin to open up the possibility of knowing our true self.
This leads me to my thought of the week. Challenging myself is an opportunity for growth and, although it might have prickly moments, in the end it will lead me to a deeper understanding. So off I go, to spread the word about the cause I’m supporting, to ask for assistance and be open to what unfolds.
What a great adventure!
