OK, I admit it! I like getting from A to B as absolutely FAST as I can get there. Failure to do so disturbs me.

Speed bumps piss me off.
Road blocks infuriate me.
And the slow lane SUCKS ass.

But life has a silly way of making sure we get a dosage of all that we need, to come into alignment with all that is serving our highest good.

And, damn it, so many times it means that the distance from A to B (that’s the crazy, hilarious way I see it in my head, a “straight line”) is more like A to left-field, to right-field, kinda backwards towards A, circle around to A.5 and then, holy shit… eventually B!

Do you hear what I’m saying? Anyone else out there speak my language?

“Life happens FOR you. Not TO you.” -Byron Katie

That Background Noise Taking Up Residency In My Head

I sometimes get caught up in my head.

And specifically what I’m referring to today is fixating (On second thought, that may not even be the right word. Because it’s more like the fixation is taking place in the background of my mind. It’s always back there, nagging on me a bit, but there’s a bunch of other shit happening in the foreground too), on the places where I am not progressing FAST ENOUGH. Where shit’s not showing up FAST ENOUGH.

My inner critic considers this FAILURE.

Not fast enough, not smart enough, not successful enough, not loving enough, not in alignment enough. OK, you get what I mean.

When I catch myself dwelling here, I take a great big breath.
And another.
And another.
And another.

I remind myself that failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is PART of success.

Failure And Success

You can NOT have one without the other. This fantasy path that I have in my head, the “straight shot” is non-existent. It’s not the way life flows.

          “Breathe through it, and release anything that does not serve you.”

 

If I am being honest with myself, if I WAS blazing down the highway my entire life, without any curves in the roads, no mountains to climb, I would (probably) be bored out of my mind. Jonesing a U-turn to mix things up.

Most of our growth and lessons learned come from the seemingly called “failures” in our lives. And isn’t that what MAKES our lives rich, successful, and worth living?

Learning, experiencing and growing.

Falling Down, Failing and Massive Growth

Because realistically, how many times did we fall before we learned to walk? How many times did it take to learn that handstand at the wall? And then after you finally get it at the wall, well…
… of course you desire to rock that shit in the middle of the room!!!

Well, in order to dream big and have it, you gotta be willing to fall.

            “Practice and all is coming.” ~ Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

Writing A New Story. Because I Can!

So I am rewiring my inner critic that has this neurotic obsession with getting from A to B with zero speed bumps and road blocks. And I am replacing the word “failure” with “learning”.

          “I am learning.”

Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Doesn’t that just feel deliciously true and alive and real and life-affirming?

So good! Right? And so INSTANTANEOUSLY transforming!

“I am learning. I am learning. I am learning.”

Because life really happens in THIS moment. And diving in to the moment deep, allows for magical alignment, flow and ease to arise.  Yoga has taught me that in such beautiful ways.

“Samskara saksat karanat purvajati jnanam. Through sustained focus and meditation on our patterns, habits, and conditioning, we gain knowledge and understanding of our past and how we can change the patterns that aren’t serving us to live more freely and fully.” ~ Yoga Sutra III.18

Funny thing, I actually love me a slowwwww yoga practice. Wayyyyy more than I did in my 20s and 30s.

I like my fitness sweaty and out of this world, challenging and hard. My yoga, these days, I enjoy it slow baby. Slow and deep.

“I am learning.”

And you can’t fail when you’re learning. You can only fail when you STOP learning and when you QUIT trying.

So to all of us out here that are LEARNING, I bow deeply to your spirit, your heart and your bad-assery.
Keep it up! Never quit learning.

XO
Samantha Fox Olson

Handstands & Adventure For The Like Minded

 P.S.
I am just feeling called to share this short handstand tutorial video with you.

So here you go, I trust it’s for someone out there reading this.

In case you DO wanna learn a handstand, but you are fearful of falling, check my youtube video out here for some support and encouragement. This video was shot 5 years ago, but it’s just as amazing today as it was back then and will support your path of learning. 🙂

Please like my YouTube Channel while you are there. Bless up!

P.S.S.
In case you wondered, all these fun images were taken during my yoga and fitness retreats on Kauai, Hawaii. Ready for an experience of a lifetime?
Click here.