You’ve heard the saying, “If I knew then what I know now, I’d…” and you can fill in the rest with whatever you’re thinking. Well, this is a twist on that phrase.
I’ll come clean here and say that at a very early age I needed surgery and then again at twenty something, however, everything worked out for the best and I was semi-happy (and physically active).
Life has been challenging over the last twenty or so years and now I see that the challenges have made me stronger and led me to set the bar higher on my journey. I am fearless and tenacious in many ways and now is one of those times where that earlier thought has come back to me. “I knew then what I know now!” And for me, it’s all connected to fitness and where I am right now……in my life and geographically, so basically another Mindful Adventure.
I’m currently at Rancho la Puerta, the “World’s Best Destination Spa” as announced in the Travel and Leisure 2010 World’s Best Awards readers’ poll.
It’s been five years (too long) since I’ve been here and Rancho la Puerta is as beautiful as ever, however this time it’s a struggle participating in many of the activities due to an injury I sustained about a year ago. I won’t go into that, however the thought that keeps replaying for me is that fitness needed to be a focus in my life and I let some of the other challenges get me off track.
That’s where, “I knew then what I know now!” comes in. It was my innate wisdom calling out to me so many years ago to make fitness more of a priority in my life and as I sit here and reflect on my life, I realize that it was a missed opportunity on so many levels. For one, I’d be feeling better right now (and may not have been injured last year) and able to participate in what I really want to do like Latin Dance, Zumba, Advanced Hiking and maybe even Sand Volleyball. And this thought is about more than going into the fitness field, it’s about “knowing” what my body needed to be at its optimum best and paying attention to it no matter what.
Here’s my point…..we all have that “innate wisdom” within, basically our intuition, and sometimes we don’t trust it and that’s the lesson in all of this.
If there’s something that’s calling out to you, whether it’s going back to school, a change in career, exercising more, eating healthier, etc., pay attention. It’s your inner voice giving you hints about your journey. Be mindful of what’s on your heart and what feels good to you. Sure, it may seem a little scary “going against” the current and maybe you just need to adjust the sails.
Lao Tzu’s quote, “The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step,” has been my guide. Remember that when you have an idea about a different path. Pay attention and choose what’s best for you. Step by step is how you reach your destination!
Enjoy your journey!