I saw my favorite poet David Whyte last week. One of the Irish sayings he shared with us was GO AGAINST YOURSELF. I love it. Yes, of course, it’s important to discern our true voice and act in resonance with our heart’s knowing. This is penetrating, wise work… AND sometimes the easier path is to just GO AGAINST YOURSELF! Here is a list of all the ways I was thinking we might practice this:
- When you decide to give and are feeling like you want to hoard what you have, especially if you have plenty. GO AGAINST YOURSELF! Be generous.
- When you don’t feel you have time to attend yoga class or want to fit in one more thing before you do go. GO AGAINST YOURSELF!
- When you feel you need to prove yourself and therefore vulnerability is out of the question, GO AGAINST YOURSELF and remember you are significant and wondrous just as you are.
- When you feel like you have to do one more task, even though you are simply exhausted. GO AGAINST YOURSELF. Let someone else do it.
- When you really want to blame another. GO AGAINST YOURSELF!
- When you believe that you are alone. GO AGAINST YOURSELF! Ease yourself back into the conversation.
- When an opportunity to lead knocks and you are not sure you are ready to say yes because you don’t know how to do it perfectly. GO AGAINST YOURSELF!
- When you have an urge to grab the microphone and speak and you haven’t formulated completely what you want to say. GO AGAINST YOURSELF! Raise your hand, grab that mike and begin to speak.
In what other ways would it be wise to GO AGAINST YOURSELF?
Photo by Teri Akin
