One of the themes I return to again and again is this:
You are at the heart of any positive impact you make in the world!
That’s one of the core ideas of the Ripple Revolution approach to life. If you want to maximize the impact you can have on the world, you have to take care of yourself along the way.
One of the dangers often faced by people whose careers focus on righting wrongs and making the world a better place (like activists) is burnout. But it’s not just activists and the like who are at risk of burnout. We all are. With the stresses and demands of everyday life, the toxic soup slung at us 24/7 by the media, and a desire to make more of a difference in our lives than we possibly can, burnout lurks just around the corner for all of us.
This clip of yoga expert Seane Corn talks about how her daily yoga practice has helped her avoid that. Whatever your situation, and whatever your practice (even if you don’t have one yet), it’s worth watching.
I especially appreciated her comments about how her daily practice kept her shadow side in check:
“I have no doubt in my mind that without a daily and committed practice that the more shadow aspect of who I am, which is intense, angry, often overwhelmed, reactive, would be the thing that would determine the choices that I’ve made. And I’ve been able to turn my rage into passion, my over-emotionality into compassion…”
In her case, the practice is yoga, but there are any number of practices that can play the role she’s referring to. My own daily meditation and chanting practice is a huge piece of what keeps me grounded and focused. There’s no way I would give it up. It’s way too important a part of my life.
There are a bazillion other practices that play a similar Some examples include:
- Qi Gong
- Tai Chi
- Mindfulness
- Breathing exercises
- Gardening
- Journaling
Do you have a practice? If you don’t, would you be open to exploring? It doesn’t have to start out big. I meditate for about an hour or so every morning, but when I started out I literally committed to just five minutes of “doing nothing.”
If you don’t currently have a regular practice, why not find one that appeals to you and start to explore it. Make it a 30-Day Experiment. See where it takes you.
You’ll feel better. You’ll have more energy. And you’ll be better equipped to make the difference you’re here to make.
What’s not to love about that?
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Brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst TM
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