Ive noticed a lot of things about myself since my teaching journey began but one thing has really stuck out this year as I've embarked upon new business ventures. The strange and funny relationship that I have with being a beginner, maybe some of you can relate to this. I have found I was hiding behind the term so that no one expected anything much from me. That I could slip into new opportunities without being weighed down by the expectations of others. At other times I was trying so desperately to sprint 10,000 miles past the term to be viewed as this accomplished figure.
Having become a little tired of flitting between the above, I took some time to reflect upon all of the times in life when we have faced this interesting relationship with the term and its loading. Firstly, at the beginning of our lives as children when we desperately wished we were older, to reach all those seemingly more exciting stages of life, (all I wanted to do was wear my sisters old topshop cast offs and go dancing in the under 18s discos)
Or when we are on our yoga mats in our warm up, rushing through the breaths and movements to get to the more glorified postures, the handstands and arm balances that look 'cooler' on our instagram posts.
Now I'm pretty sure you are all with me here when I say, in both cases we miss out on so much of the beauty that already exists where we are.
Under 18 discos really just consisted of trying to pull your dress down the whole evening and when we finally get to those ‘cool’ postures it’s the end of the practice and we wish we could do it all over again but this time paying attention.
How often do you catch yourself reminiscing about something you have done, nostalgic and wishing that you had just enjoyed it at the time, before it became a memory? So when I noticed this in myself, I had, (and still have to), take a step back and look at all the things I'm missing out on and that maybe we all miss out on when we start something new, when we are too busy dealing with being that dreaded word 'beginner'
Let us remember we are a beginner because we have made the courageous choice to start something new, that it isn't something dreaded but instead a new adventure. How incredibly lucky we are to have the opportunity to expand our learning, the butterflies in our stomachs, the excitement of meeting new people, friends and colleagues .All the things you have yet to learn, to know and to discover.
How much are we missing out on trying to get somewhere else? Perhaps you have always wanted to start practicing yoga, take up a morning run or join your local art class. Maybe it has always been put off because of the negative loading of being new, being a beginner.
So this week I challenge you to view the term with fresh eyes and when you find yourself rushing through stop, ask yourself why, where is it you are heading to exactly, and what is actually going to happen when you finally 'arrive'?
I would love to hear how you get on, comment or get in touch below - Helen x
