
“We do not push the wind; it is the wind that pushes us. Life moves each person forward at just the right pace to stimulate continued learning and growth. There is little each person can do to rush the process. The most we can do is to become a more conscious participant.
When faced with the challenge of creating new behaviors, some approach the challenge head on and work hard, only to eventually burn out through the struggle and finally give up. Others get overwhelmed quickly and do not make much progress before realizing that the task is just too daunting. They too give up. Still others see what it is that needs to get done, think it is a good idea but never get started from a lack of motivation. Perceiving oneself as having failed only makes the situation worse and so, rather than try again, most people distract themselves so that they do not have to face the challenge.
As you read more and more about Ayurveda, you will see that it brings you face to face with your current lifestyle choices and asks you to compare them to an ideal. When doing so, we inevitably fall short, for who among us is so pure and so holy that we have no faults. Indeed, that is a rare individual. When looking into the mirror of Ayurveda, most people begin to see many areas that are in need of improvement and at the same time offer great opportunities for growth and healing. Without patience though, overwhelm, burnout or inertia will get the best of us.
Patience requires a proper perspective. Transforming your lifestyle is a journey. It is not reasonable to expect that you will be able to do everything that can be done to improve your health and well-being or even make a large number of changes quickly. Even small, simple changes can make a profound difference in how you feel. In fact, progress on the path of Ayurveda is really just making a series of small, profound changes.”
~ Excerpt from “Healing Your Life, Lessons on the Path of Ayurveda,” by Dr. Marc Halpern, Founder of the California College of Ayurveda. Available at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GP7m28 and Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1PsYDUA