Wednesday, December 11, 2013

What do you think?

I feel as though I have SO much to share. I have been meaning to write a post that catches you all up on the various things I've already posted about in the recent past, to bring you up to date, but you know, I could do that at *any* time. And, well, it would require a lot of searching for old photos and links and I am having too much fun chair dancing to my new itunes download right now to be bothered; PLUS, I went to a yoga class on Saturday morning and had a teacher I'd never had before. And he said something interesting....

First off, I LOVED him. Great vibe, great sequence, great presence, and god bless him he was subbing for one of the most popular teachers at a very, very busy 3-studio, yoga-mill studio. He killed it, in my opinion, although I'm sure there were some people in the room rolling their eyes because it wasn't as "vigorous" as they were hoping their 7 AM class would be. Me? In the morning? Please, please, ease me in. I'm not interested in an injury, and really, folks, by the end of the class we're all going to be spent and sweating in savasana on our mats regardless.

ANYWAY, he said something (twice, with purpose, which may seem cheesy, but I appreciate the drama!) that has stuck in my head and got me thinking. (It does sometimes happen.)

Drum roll.....................listen for it...................it might be in Sanskrit...............

Kidding, it was;

We only ask for advice when we already know the answer.

Here it is again (for EMPHASIS!)

We only ask for advice when we already know what to do.

Yes, I know, I see, they are not exactly the same, because, well, I can't remember exactly which one he said. But it WAS one of them. And either way, it's the same meaning, right?

I was slightly resistant to his message at first. A tad bit defensive. But really, isn't it almost always true? If we've come to the point that we've formed a specific question, narrowed it down to what we really want to get clear on, aren't we usually pretty clear on what we want the outcome to be? Aren't we just looking for confirmation of what we have already decided?

Maybe you have no earthly idea what I am talking about. But I know am guilty of this. (My mom certainly can confirm this defect :) If I put a query out there and you don't come back with what I want to hear (what my intuition has already told me is correct, what I already know I want to have happen), I get a bit miffed.

Wft? I think to myself. Why don't they think I should?!

It takes me a minute (or many, many minutes) to forgive you, for not arriving at the answer I already know I want to hear. The answer that I have already come to myself.

Why do I put us both through that?

If I already know the answer, why do I query?

That is the question.

We are underselling ourselves, is the message I got from my Saturday morning class.

My teacher suggested that we really try to refrain from asking for advice and instead trust our intuition.

I gotta say, for most things (okay, perhaps not tax advice), I think he has a very valid (and simple) point.

We have an innate intelligence, why not rely on our own inner compass more often?

Hopefully you're more grown up than me and already do so, but if not, let's give it a try. K?

Thanks, Colin.

3 comments:

Pat said...

Having confirmation from others helps quiet that small voice of doubt that inevitably creeps in. And beside, people like to be asked their opinions--it validates them.
So ask away...
Love, Mom

Me, You, or Ellie said...

How lovely!

I admire your always-learning 'tude, Beth. And your writing. And your, you know, youness.

Thank you for bringing your Saturday morning yoga to us.

xoxoxo
Ellie

Me, You, or Ellie said...

Hmmmm, I think I lean toward Pat's thinking on this. Although I suppose I'm generally less likely to ask "what should I do?" than "what do you think about what I just did?"

I trust my instincts, but I enjoy validation.

Interesting!

xoxo
jacquie