Speaking of Competitions!

My husband and I have entered our company into a grant competition.  We made the top 50 out of  thousands of entries!  So how can you help?  Well, we had to make a movie about our company's story and part of the judging comes from how many votes we can get.  So, please help us out and vote for us--we are running a bit behind b/c we're not very good at competitions (read previous post).  

Go to this website to get to know us.  To vote, click on the icon, ("inspiring," "useful," and/or "funny") and then create a username and password (to prevent voting fraud), then vote!!

If you do, we will be so grateful and good things will come to you!

Competition

It has always baffled me the way humans are so hung up in competition.  Maybe its just genetic, but this is what I observe.  I see that people are obsessively caught up in results and image.  Everyone wants to be the best.  I have to say, I love competition in its pure form--I love pushing myself to do something that maybe I wouldn't have done otherwise.  But insert other people into the equation and it becomes ugly.  All of a sudden, people are comparing themselves, maybe saying negative things about their competition--they end up being against each other rather than supportive of one another.  And in the world of an extreme sport such as whitewater kayaking, its not good--we need each other for survival.  

I went to a comp last weekend and there were so many bad vibes--I got caught up in it--thus the drama in the previous post.  I got angry and frustrated, and I was surprised by how people acted when I thought it was going to be a fun and lighthearted event for girls to get together and support each other.  But in the end, it helped me because I decided to take a good hard look inside.  

Like I said, I love competition because I love to push myself, but I don't like the game playing.  I also don't like to be confined by rules--in order to compete, you have to be somewhere at a certain time and then you have to play by the rules--all things that I am not good at and really don't like--its not for me, so why have I been expecting it of myself?  The expectations on myself and subsequent guilt when I would always inevitably not show up for the event that I signed up for seemed to be the real issue here.  I realized that I have been made to believe by media and the thoughts of the herd that somehow I needed to be in competitions when its really not my thing.  So, I have decided to channel my energy in life to the things that I do well and the things that bring me joy because in the end, that is what matters.  I no longer need to feel guilty for being original.  So, my energies are redirected at creating yoga routines for athletes, going kayaking for pure joy, taking pictures and video and sharing my travel, joy, and viewpoints with the world through our blogs, books, and videos.  I will stay fit in mind in body  so that I can participate fully in the sports that I love doing--and I can do it my own way--with my own original twist (the judges on American Idol love and encourage that!) and it will be more effective that way because its real.  

Drama

Well, I did it--I created drama in a community for one of the first times in my adult life.  I have tended to avoid it.  But, I think all situations can be an opportunity for self growth.  It really is so important to turn each and everything into something positive.  So, remember if you get mad at someone or you are judging someone or something bad happens to you, turn it around and look inward.  Figure out what inside you created it.  Self inquiry is the magic of life.  Don't bury yourself in it, though--remember to balance.  Figure it out, see it, then let it go, and move on. Inner strength is created through your ability to see yourself as you are and your ability to forgive yourself, change it, and move forward with your life.  

Who am I?

It's the ultimate question and one I have been pondering since I was too young to wonder about such things.  I have always been very philosophical and spiritual, yet also very physical and outdoorzy.  As I grew, my life and interests took me in many directions, but one day stands out in particular.  In my first yoga class, I knew that was my calling in life--to teach yoga.  It took me many more years and adventures to come back around to it, but here I am today living my dream.  But my dream has evolved--in the process of life, I have also found a love for outdoor adventures, whitewater kayaking in particular.  I never would have dreamed I would be strong and confident enough to be the athlete that I am today.  But it was all made possible through the self inquiry and growth that is available to us through a yoga practice.  It doesn't matter where you are in a practice--don't let all the hype get to you.  All you have to do is observe yourself from wherever you are.  Think about your toes and know that you will have found enlightenment when you are no longer looking for it, but you are truly intrigued by your toes--or if you don't have those--substitute something else, like maybe, lightening bugs.