“I saw the angel in the marble, and I carved until I set him free.”
Michelangelo
I began teaching yoga immediately after teacher training graduation in May of 2009, and it was a gift to be able to do so. Many opportunities sprung up, and I wanted to try them all. Before I knew it, I was teaching up to five classes a week in addition to my full-time job and other side work projects. Things I loved were ignored: the puppies were often neglected, my garden was more weeds than herbs, and my house was a mess. I was not living a yogic lifestyle. A happy, well-intentioned life requires balance, and I was letting myself slip far from it.
Happily, when I err I have good friends who don’t mind gently reminding me that I am off track. After a rant of complaining about stress and time management issues, one of them said to me, “Damn girl, are you crazy?” This is a continuing theme in my life.
Fast-forward a decade, and I find myself in the middle of a move from the Homewood bungalow to the house that sits on the border of Hoover and Vestavia (Richard calls it the Hoostavia Longhouse). This, coupled with teaching yoga and playing in the trio Red Dirt Roses, put me right back in that difficult spot. I can hear the echo of the sweet and delicate words from my dear friend, “Damn girl, are you crazy?” So again, I’ve felt called to walk away from things I love. And that’s the hard part. Giving up something awful isn’t quite as tough. But I know I can’t do a great job of anything when living this way.
Much like Michelangelo feeling that his beautiful figures are already there, he just has to remove some of the marble to reveal them, there are just a few things I need to put down so I can see and enjoy my wonderful life. My home is now relatively clean, I’m spending time with friends, and I’ve renewed my commitment to this blog. What I keep having to RELEARN is that the life I want is not out there or in the future, it is here. It is the one I’ve got. Right now. Sometimes I just have to chip away some of the marble to see it.