Often the speed we want to see success in our lives is unrealistic. When things don’t go at the rate we wish, we tend to turn on ourselves by thinking there is something wrong with us. The negative self-doubt can quickly turn to depression holding us in a dark place. Instead of feeding into the negative self-doubt, remind yourself how long a masterpiece takes to create.
It took 12 months for Vincent van Gogh to paint Starry Night, five years for Michelangelo to finish the Sistine Chapel, and four years for the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci! Each one was made not with a single stroke but with hundreds of thousands of MILLIONS of strokes to create a brilliant work of art. Like yourself, a masterpiece in the making.
Stop putting pressure on your happiness and goals. There is no need to hurry. When shooting for a goal, or working on yourself, all you have to do is aim for a single brushstroke a day. And by brush stroke, I mean a simple task that moves you forward.
Not sure where to start? Yoga can help! As we become more in tune with our body by concentrating on breath with movement our heart begins to speak. There has been numerous times while I practice that an answer to an aging conflict became clear. For instance, the struggle I have with my worth. A lot of my pain comes from this idea that there is something wrong with me and, therefore, I am unworthy of what I want in life. This clarity came to me during a session. From there, I was able to feel the pain, realize it wasn’t true, and move forward toward the things that will make me happy.
Once you have a direction, track your progress by writing in a journal. Seriously, on those bad days when all you want to do is lay in bed and not move, looking back at what you’ve done is motivating. It will let you know how far you’ve come, and you can’t stop now. Most importantly, it stops the nasty self-doubting voice we can sometimes face from time to time.
This world wants to see your most beautiful, authentic self. And the person which resides in your heart takes time to find. Never rush a masterpiece, including yourself.
