“If you need certitude, you will surround yourself with your conclusions” — Richard Rohr
A few weeks back my friend Sharon and I went to NYC for our birthdays. Sharon, a talented TV producer, brilliant Life Coach, and all around great person decided to make a VLOG (video log) of our time there.
It is because Sharon is a brilliant, all around great person whom I love and trust that I decided to say yes to taking part in the project.
In truth, I was nervous and a wee bit skeptical.
I have a conflicted relationship with social media and online exposure. I post yoga pics to insta-world, and yet I’ve never stopped feeling odd about it. I’ve come to recognize its value of connecting to others and promoting a small business. However, I will never be at ease with the ability social media gives us to “curate an image” and project an ideal self we want others to see.
By agreeing to take part in the vlog, I inadvertently asked myself to take a deeper look at this conflicted relationship with online presence. I was forced to let go of my forgone conclusions about social media. I had to broaden my outlook.
It was tough.
In the midst of this toughness I learned a few things about myself;
Turns out, even though I’m a yoga teacher, getting up in front of dozens of people everyday, hundreds of people a week, I’m still uncomfortable with “being seen”.
I also realized when I travel, I like to simply be somewhere without having to feel “on”. The vlog asked me to be turned on a bit more than I had anticipated.
Even though being “on” is a bit of an exercise for me, I love to perform. I love to ham it up and put on a bit of a show to make people laugh and feel at ease. I won the drama award in high school and aced all my drama courses in University. (For those who know me, this is not a shocker #dramaqueen). The vlog put me in touch with that side of myself, and you know what? It was actually fun!
It reminded me that although my professional title is “yoga teacher” there is a lot more to me than this role.
I also learned about my friend Sharon;
She is compassionate, insightful and very patient with reluctant friends who have concerns about being in an online video.
She has a true heart for others and seeks to reach them through an online medium she knows and creates exceptionally well.
She is a talented producer, video editor and writer. I am blessed to call her a friend.
Because of her, I stepped outside my little zone of comfort and ventured into the world of vlogging, sharing an experience with many people. She even convinced me to do a trapeze class!
Seeing the final product and feeling the joy it gives me to look back at the memories we made, even in the midst of my uncertainty, it ended up being more than worth it.
I use the practice of yoga to break through conclusions I’ve held about myself by pushing personal and physical boundaries. Having people in my life who help me expand my worldview and encourage me to let go of conclusions is a blessing I don’t ever want to take for granted.
Certitude is a myth. Each day invites us to let go of forgone conclusions; flying into the unknown like an unwitting girl in a trapeze class.
Soaring into the unknown is a bit more fun than staring up at the sky and judging it from afar. Be sure to watch the Vlog — click HERE to see more. I am very proud of the work my amazing friends has created. I hope it helps broaden horizons for others just as it did for me.
