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“To reach a port we must
set sail –
Sail, not tie at anchor
Sail, not drift.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
This is the quote that came to my mind a few days ago when, after having finished our Ashtanga yoga practice with relaxation in savasana, our teacher asked us to sit in a comfortable position and close our eyes guiding us through a visualization exercise which was something like this (me paraphrasing): "You are on a sailing boat at the dock, ready set sail. Straight in front you lies an exotic island where you have never been before. The scenery is so beautiful and the mystery of the undiscovered place feels you with a strong urge to get there so you prepare the sails and turn the engine on. The boat starts moving forward but a few seconds later won't go any further. You look back and realize that you have not untied the rope from the dock. At the moment you look back you are filled with hesitation. You love the place you are right now, you have explored it and know it well, you feel comfortable and safe there. Then you look ahead at the undiscovered island’s direction again. It seems so beautiful and you want to explore it. You have no idea what you will encounter there but you know that for a long time you will not feel as secure as you do in the place you are now. The decision is yours to make." In my visualization I cut the rope and set sail filled with joy. And when I get there what I discover is more beautiful and thrilling than what I have left behind.
After the visualization we
had a discussion on how most things in life come with a price and how progress
of oneself is a hard procedure. People usually tend to feel insecure when they
find themselves in unexplored water and are often scared and intimidated of the
unknown territories whether these are actual map locations or places in one's
mind and soul. Change, progress and personal growth require a great amount of
courage, discipline, faith and sacrifice. You will have to leave behind ports
you know and love, literally and metaphorically: people in your life that act
as barriers and obstructions to your path, habits that do you no good and
thoughts that hold you back. All these will be you dock where the boat is still
attached, they will seem really dear and intimate to you at the time you will
have make a choice between them or progressing further on your journey by
setting sail for that island. I guess what we sacrifice is what makes our
journey priceless.
Sail, not tie at anchor
Sail, not drift.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
This is the quote that came to my mind a few days ago when, after having finished our Ashtanga yoga practice with relaxation in savasana, our teacher asked us to sit in a comfortable position and close our eyes guiding us through a visualization exercise which was something like this (me paraphrasing): "You are on a sailing boat at the dock, ready set sail. Straight in front you lies an exotic island where you have never been before. The scenery is so beautiful and the mystery of the undiscovered place feels you with a strong urge to get there so you prepare the sails and turn the engine on. The boat starts moving forward but a few seconds later won't go any further. You look back and realize that you have not untied the rope from the dock. At the moment you look back you are filled with hesitation. You love the place you are right now, you have explored it and know it well, you feel comfortable and safe there. Then you look ahead at the undiscovered island’s direction again. It seems so beautiful and you want to explore it. You have no idea what you will encounter there but you know that for a long time you will not feel as secure as you do in the place you are now. The decision is yours to make." In my visualization I cut the rope and set sail filled with joy. And when I get there what I discover is more beautiful and thrilling than what I have left behind.
What if things only seem like a price to our minds as they are now, but when we see the bigger picture, they really won't have been a sacrifice. I would love to see what we don't know. But I think if we take a step back we can imagine. This is the place we ought to go to decide!
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