Ideals

In thinking about ideals...one can get a bit discouraged. At least I can.

I want so much to be all I can be, achieve all I can achieve. What vision I hold for myself, what hope. And yet, once in awhile it seems that the day to day struggle, the weaknesses that do beset me feel almost impenetrable. And though I try to overlook them, try to overcome them, it is almost as if the inertia, which I feel with as much pull as gravity itself, is too much.

I usually don't feel so stuck. But when I do, I recognize that there are some beliefs swirling around my head keeping me locked in my box- some reaction sequence I'm caught in...yet so transparent to me.

Sigh.

I know what to do...journal, become an observer, let myself rant and rave...get it all out until he belief burst forth. The thought of it is overwhelming...

Ideals.

Thank goodness for ideals. They cause us to reach, to stretch, to hope, to dream. But today as I think on them I experience stress.

I sit up in my chair, trying to increase alignment in my hips, back and neck as I type on this computer, suddenly the lessons of Yoga enter my mind~ this physical medium, so psychological- so spiritual- so rooted in the whole of me, cause me to remember...

we reach our ideals, by allowing ourselves to notice, to be, where we are.

To breath ever so gently in to that reality which is now...with no judgment, only acceptance and love.

As I feel into these words my eyes fill with tears.

To just look on myself with compassion. Ahh...it causes me to laugh with joy.

We humans, generally for the most part want to be good. We want to do our best. We want to improve...so much so that sometimes the reaching can cause us to topple over and forget our foundation of being. I long to stand, and to stand tall...and I know when I can I then will be able to reach.

So with that, today, I will focus not on the ideal but on grounding myself in the now, in being kind and patient with me. I do my practice the best I can, and let it be.

In this day, that is my ideal for me.