My Two Cents
It’s Okay to Give 1% and Remember to Breathe!
Diane Michael, Communications Director for The Callan Group
It’s Okay to Give 1% and Remember to Breathe!
Diane Michael, Communications Director for The Callan Group
I recently got back from Costa Rica where I earned my yoga teacher certification. After being out of the country for a month it only took 24 hours for me to come down with a nasty virus. I wasn't able to practice until this past week. While I was in multiple poses, my talented strong teacher, Robin, said two statements that stuck with me that I want to share.
1.) Sometimes you give 1% and sometimes you
give 100%
What a concept! I loved hearing this while in downward dog because during my training in Costa I decided I wanted to start writing more about how I believe the practices in yoga go hand in hand with practices in business. So this statement was a perfect way to kick off my new focus.
As a business owner, you only report to yourself and your clients.
You set your own goals, schedule, budgets, etc. You have the ability to negotiate, to reschedule, to show up and to not show up. It can be a very dangerous position to hold but most entrepreneurs love it. What Robin said rang so true to me in business and on the mat because there are times where you simply don't give 100%. You don't even give 50%. You give 1% - but you showed up! You decided to do something. Every little bit counts!
There are definitely days when you give 100%.
Those days can be equally rewarding and exhausting. In yoga, I find myself in the same situation. I feel so great that I simply showed up - even if I gave only 1%. And those days that I give 100% and can do a headstand into crow while sucking my tummy towards my back, I am truly a rock star.
The cool thing that really resonated with me when Robin made this statement was that it's all good!
You don't always have to operate at 100% in life, in business or in the yoga studio. Seriously! We don't have to book our schedules out on a daily basis. We don't have to run around from appointment to appointment. I find myself some days rushing to get to yoga - cutting people off only to run to the back to get my coveted spot to end up with one minute to spare in child's pose. Why? Why am I trying to do too much at one time? This is not healthy for me and I don't recommend it.
We've been told since we were kids to give it our 100% which I believe has really messed us up.
It's ok to give your 1%. You're showing up. And when you continue to show up day after day -small accomplishments turn into big ones just as practicing yoga regularly will change your body, soul and mind little by little.
Nothing has to happen overnight.
And if you were like me in my younger days, when you don't give 100% at least don't beat yourself up for it. Focus on what you did accomplish, what you are happy about, what you are thankful for and how you showed up.
What a concept! I loved hearing this while in downward dog because during my training in Costa I decided I wanted to start writing more about how I believe the practices in yoga go hand in hand with practices in business. So this statement was a perfect way to kick off my new focus.
As a business owner, you only report to yourself and your clients.
You set your own goals, schedule, budgets, etc. You have the ability to negotiate, to reschedule, to show up and to not show up. It can be a very dangerous position to hold but most entrepreneurs love it. What Robin said rang so true to me in business and on the mat because there are times where you simply don't give 100%. You don't even give 50%. You give 1% - but you showed up! You decided to do something. Every little bit counts!
There are definitely days when you give 100%.
Those days can be equally rewarding and exhausting. In yoga, I find myself in the same situation. I feel so great that I simply showed up - even if I gave only 1%. And those days that I give 100% and can do a headstand into crow while sucking my tummy towards my back, I am truly a rock star.
The cool thing that really resonated with me when Robin made this statement was that it's all good!
You don't always have to operate at 100% in life, in business or in the yoga studio. Seriously! We don't have to book our schedules out on a daily basis. We don't have to run around from appointment to appointment. I find myself some days rushing to get to yoga - cutting people off only to run to the back to get my coveted spot to end up with one minute to spare in child's pose. Why? Why am I trying to do too much at one time? This is not healthy for me and I don't recommend it.
We've been told since we were kids to give it our 100% which I believe has really messed us up.
It's ok to give your 1%. You're showing up. And when you continue to show up day after day -small accomplishments turn into big ones just as practicing yoga regularly will change your body, soul and mind little by little.
Nothing has to happen overnight.
And if you were like me in my younger days, when you don't give 100% at least don't beat yourself up for it. Focus on what you did accomplish, what you are happy about, what you are thankful for and how you showed up.
The next thing Robin said...
2.) Remember to breathe - it will help you
when you're in a tough pose which will teach you how to get through a tough
time in your life
For anyone that has ever had to publically speak, you know that taking deep belly breaths can be the difference between a well composed speech and passing out.
Yoga is all about the breath.
Deep Dark Vader breaths through the nose and out the nose. We all have lifted a large conch shell to our ears and heard the sounds of the sea...that's what I want my breath to sound like. This goes a long way in business and in life, too. Breathing deeply slows down your heart rate which comes in really handy when you're in a stressful meeting, uncomfortable setting or pitching a prospective client.
When Robin reminds us to breathe in our poses it always reminds me how I have the opportunity to breathe through the difficult times in my business.
In my younger years, I was quick to react and didn't give myself time to breathe, relax, sit back and compose myself and my responses. Breathing obviously happens naturally but breathing deeply and intentionally takes focus and practice. As we learn how to breathe in our poses on our mats we also learn that taking that breath out of the studio will help us conquer more than we can imagine in weekly business settings and definitely in life in general.
For anyone that has ever had to publically speak, you know that taking deep belly breaths can be the difference between a well composed speech and passing out.
Yoga is all about the breath.
Deep Dark Vader breaths through the nose and out the nose. We all have lifted a large conch shell to our ears and heard the sounds of the sea...that's what I want my breath to sound like. This goes a long way in business and in life, too. Breathing deeply slows down your heart rate which comes in really handy when you're in a stressful meeting, uncomfortable setting or pitching a prospective client.
When Robin reminds us to breathe in our poses it always reminds me how I have the opportunity to breathe through the difficult times in my business.
In my younger years, I was quick to react and didn't give myself time to breathe, relax, sit back and compose myself and my responses. Breathing obviously happens naturally but breathing deeply and intentionally takes focus and practice. As we learn how to breathe in our poses on our mats we also learn that taking that breath out of the studio will help us conquer more than we can imagine in weekly business settings and definitely in life in general.
Thank you, Robin, for your words...they carry
outside the studio!
Diane Michael, Communications Director for The Callan Group is combining marketing strategies and life lessons learned on her mat. Diane is blending her yoga practice with her entrepreneurial skills to motivate and empower others. It's all about how balance can build a better life!
