Some weeks are simply chock-a-block full. And so it has been this past week which is typically one of the busiest weeks of my year. It’s as though the perfect storm has arrived with the confluence of our annual Senior Tennis Tournament and peak season here in the desert. It means that the yoga studio has many full classes, people visiting from the north seeking to defrost some of the deep winter chill as well as my own personal support role as one of the tennis tournament directors. It translates into rising way before the sun to set-up the tournament check-in desk for the first round matches, then heading off to the studio for my usual teaching schedule. I head back to the tournament during my lunch break to see what help I can offer, eat some lunch and then return to the studio for afternoon classes. Thankfully it’s for a limited amount of days which means I can make it happen if I make sure I get enough sleep and intermittent movement. It also happens to be my birthday week, so let’s just say I’m in contact with more people in these few days than usual.
With all that’s been happening, I got to thinking about what it means to leave a legacy. It was stimulated by week beginning with Martin Luther King, Jr day celebrated here in the States. His energy, movement, and intentions were so powerful, it’s now a national holiday. One of Martin Luther King’s inspirations came from the non-violent approach to protest by Mahatma Gandhi, the “Father of India”. The energy that Gandhi generated, left such a powerful impression, it resulted in impacting a nation on the other side of the globe.
Another person who gifted us with an amazing legacy was the poet, Mary Oliver, who passed away last week. I’ve read her poems countless times and truly feel as though her words will hold such impact and power for generations. What a legacy she’s gifted us with.
And lastly, the legacy-inspired theme is connected to our tennis tournament, the Wilson World Tennis Classic. This is the final year that we’ll be running the tournament after 14-years of doing so. The timing seemed right for us to pass the tournament along to a younger, more energetic person, ready to put their stamp on the event that was started over 30-years ago. In a sense, we inherited the tournament from the originators and the timing was perfect for us. Ed was really looking to dig his teeth into something and this presented itself. And I have to say, he’s given it his own personal signature and influence over these past several years. It’s as though the tournament was “gifted” to us, we added our own influence to it and now we’re “gifting” it to who’s next. The legacy of the tournament will continue but will morph into a new identity, just as it did with us.
This week has been about honoring what “gifts” we’ve been given and to reflect on what we’ve done with that energy. Gandhi morphed a nation and that influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. Mary Oliver crafted her words in a way that will impact us for ages, and the legacy of our tournament will transition to a new expression of its original form. When I think about what I’ve been gifted with, the first things that come to mind are amazing teachers and athleticism. I was open to receiving and over the years have embodied what I’ve been given. It’s as though my soul knows that to not capitalize on what I been given would be a disservice to my highest self. As I find inspiration I’m often unaware of the exact source from which it comes, but feel beholden to simply open to what is present, to allow my intuition rather than my intellect to be the guide, and pass it along to people I’m face-to-face with each week.
This reflection on legacy also coincided with my birthday and I often wonder if the well of ideas and creativity will ever run dry. But, as I blow out my birthday cake candles, one of my wishes is to find gratitude for all that I’ve received and to remain humble in their sharing.
Trust and honor your unique gifts. By acknowledging what they are, where they come from, and who can receive them connects us to a chain of energy. It comes from some source, we breathe into it, imprinting our unique selves into that energy, and then eventually let it go. Our legacy is something that will be here even when we are longer walking this earthly plane. Embrace, enjoy, morph, and release!
