10/11/12

Right around this time  year 6 years ago, I got laid off from my high tech job.  I remember distinctly the struggle I had with what I wanted to do next.

When I said, “the heck with this corporate job, I’m gonna immerse myself in yoga and go do a teacher training,”  they said, “What?!  Are you crazy?  You can’t do that.”

I said, “watch me.”

My first training I signed up for was full at the time but I submitted my application anyway.  A week before the training started, someone dropped out and I got in.

After completing my level 1 training, I said I wanted to teach yoga and they said “What?! That’s crazy.  You can’t do that? Who’s gonna hire you, you don’t have experience.”

I said, “watch me.”

I remember my first official class.  It was outdoors in a park with a view of the Red Rock Mountains.  It was beautiful.

I was immediately  hooked and when I said, “I want to teach yoga full time,”  they said, “what?!  you should go get a real job.  How will you survive teaching yoga?”

I said, “watch me.”

I wanted to thrive rather than just survive.

A year into teaching, they’re still saying, “high tech is making a come back.  You should go back.  Teaching 3 or 4 classes isn’t enough and you don’t have time to teach more than that.”

I said, “watch me.”

I instantly became a full time teacher with 7 to 8 classes a week.

They said, “You’d have to be teaching double the classes to survive.  You won’t be able to handle that.”

I said, “Watch me.”

I became a full time teacher with 17 classes and not only survived but my quality of life improved.

When I said I wanted to open my own studio this same time last year, they said, “you don’t have enough resources or time and you’re not ready yet.”

I said, “watch me.”

I planned it, wrote a business plan, secured a lease and then S-M-A-C-K! in the face… my business license wasn’t approved.

Ok this time they got me.  This happened at this exact time last year. They were finally right, I suppose.   So I quit.  I stopped dreaming about it.  I stopped planning it.  I didn’t even want it anymore.   Not only did I announce the opening, I gave up some of my classes to make time for planning the studio, and then I had to announce that it wasn’t going through.  I felt like such a loser… such a failure.

This past July, the exact location opened up again.  The landlord called me asking if I was still looking.  I said, “eh! not really.”  I didn’t want to dream again and then watch it fail before it even got started.”   He said, “it’s available again and this time you shouldn’t have problems getting your license.”

I said, “ok, I’ll wait and see.  I’m going to Hawaii and will let you know when I get back.”

I traveled and got back mid august.

When I finally decided to go for it… to dream again… and to commit to growth, they said, “again?  really? didn’t you learn your lesson?”

I said, “watch me.”

I went to the city’s business center and applied.

They said, “what kinda of business?”   I replied, “a yoga studio.”   They said, “ok.. approved!”

I said, “Thank you!”

The journey begins…

I said I wanted to open in 4 weeks after signing the lease and they said, “what?!  You can’t do that.. that’s not enough time.”

I said, “watch me.”

When I choose the opening date, they said, “you can’t do that.  Who’s gonna come on a thursday?.”

I said, “watch me.”

Fast forward to today, 10/11/12…  The studio opened and people came! people really came!

It’s been a six year lesson that keeps presenting itself.  When someone says, “you can’t, you won’t, you shouldn’t,”  I’ve learned to say “watch me…” and it magically happens.  It always works out when you believe in yourself.   Always!

I choose 10/11/12 as the opening date because not only does it sound cool, but the 11th is a considered very auspicious day in the Hindu calendar.  Its is the 11th day of the waxing and waning moons  and is called ekadasi where devotees increase their connection and devotion to God.

Prior to writing this blog after being absent for a while, I decided to look up the meaning of 10/11/12.  The pattern doesn’t have any real significance as some major reporters have claimed.    Oh well!  so much for trying to get aligned with the Universe.

As I type this blog, I reflect back on the first day of opening the studio.  It was a success.  About 23 people came to practice.  Not bad for a first day, eh?  Well it doesn’t really matter at this point whether it was 1 person that showed up or 100 that showed up because there was no real meaning or connection to the date pattern 10/11/12.

The best thing about 10/11/12 is that I created it, exactly the way I wanted it to.   Everything turned out great… it wasn’t the nth day of the month, or a Hindu calendar, or had anything to do with the moon, the stars, the <fill in the blank>.  It was all me and the meaning I gave my day.  I made my day meaningful!  All those times they said, “no, can’t, don’t, shouldn’t, etc.,” I said “watch me,” and in watching myself, I see that the difference I made was simply an act of wanting to do so.  I made my day meaningful.

Please go check out my new studio:  www.yogainsideout.com.   Come take  a free class if you’re in the area.

Make everyday meaningful!

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