Gradual progress

Gradual progress

We have already reflected on the importance of clarifying what we want. When we decided on a major goal for our lives, hopefully we found that our goal aligns nicely with what we want. I say hopefully because when our goal and values are aligned, it is easier to recognize when our intentions, thoughts and actions are moving us away from our goal. Identifying how our current thoughts, intentions, emotions, actions and interactions are obstacles on our path, may make it easier to make different choices. Gradually, as we cultivate useful actions, the unhelpful attitudes will become weaker. We will probably notice that everything seems to flow with greater ease.

Reflect on your actions over the past couple of weeks. Pick one of those activities and think about how that activity was conducive to moving toward you goal… What do you find? Did the activity offer you motivation or inspiration? …Or did it help you deepen your connection to yourself, to other people or to the world around you? …

As we engage in this reflection, some of us may find that all of our actions are moving us closer to our goal. Excellent! However, most of us will probably find at least a few actions that were not in alignment with our values, intentions, or goals. Perhaps some of our actions have moved us away from our goal. This happens to most of us. Let’s remember that no one is perfect, and that practicing SIMPLE YOGA is never an exercise in blaming ourselves. We can all probably think of one or two things that we know will always make us feel better physically, mentally, or emotionally. However, it is quite normal for us to forget to do these things.

Here it is useful to remember that noticing that we have become distracted is an indication of progress. Each time we notice that we are distracted, we recognize that we can witness our thoughts instead of identifying with them. Noticing the distraction reminds us of the fundamental difference between our awareness and its content. So noticing the distraction is not failure, it is progress. Each time we notice a distraction, we have the option of either following the distraction or realigning with our values, intentions, and goals. This is what strengthens our focus and concentration. We simply return to the present again and again, without effort, without struggle, and without self-judgment. Letting go of our self-judgment is a way to counter our natural tendency to focus on the negative.

Reflecting on our actions from this perspective can help us recognize that we are gradually and organically progressing on our path. A simple way to test if we are progressing: Would you trade places with an earlier version of yourself? I have asked myself this question before and I have also asked many people the same question. Often the response I get is something like, “Can I take my current wisdom with me into the past?” The answer is no. The reasoning is often, I would like to have the youth and vitality I had before, but I do not want to repeat the same mistakes. So, the question again is, would you trade places with an earlier version of you? Really take a few moments to consider this…

What do you think? Every single person I have asked has said no, I would not want to go back to being myself at any time in the past. This suggests to me that we probably feel that we are doing better than we were, that we have reached a greater level of clarity than before. Maybe we feel that we have figured some things out, or that we are growing in wisdom and are less inclined to overreact and stress unnecessarily. If you feel that you would not trade with a previous version of yourself, is it possible that you are growing in your awareness? …And that some things, perhaps your attitudes and perceptions, are leading to more harmony and less struggle. Can you accept that as a sign of progress?

Most likely, years from now, you will still feel that you have continued to expand your consciousness, that you are in greater harmony with life, and that you would not want to trade with the current version of yourself.

Consider taking time during the next week to reflect on your recent activities and how they may or may not be contributing to your goal. Consider also if you can acknowledge and appreciate your own progress.

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This is an excerpt from the book Unravel the thread: Applying the ancient wisdom of yoga to live a happy life

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