A repost of, What's Really Waiting For Us?

What's Really Waiting For Us?

Dona Anderson

I thought I'd repost some of my earlier articles in case you hadn't seen them.  This was the first of four published in Island Gals magazine in 2012 and I posted it here February 13, 2013.  I chose this today as my last post, a quote from Martha Beck, spoke about passion. This story speaks about my making changes and space for surprises.  I'm sure many of you will be able to relate to some of what I said.  Coming soon the next article I'm the new manager of me!

What’s really waiting for us?

Dona Anderson

Early retirement was dreamed of as a time to do fun things while I was still young enough, and since I’m not overly energetic, it would be partnered with the easy button!

The retirement to do list had started at least 10 years before, and every time I was overly stressed or it was a beautiful day, I would think to myself, just wait…its coming!  

My list even included those dreaded things I was very good at putting off, but were always on my mind.  Then a few months before retirement, I put yoga teacher on my list. I didn’t really know what I’d do with it, but I thought it would be great for my health and provide lifetime learning.  I had started yoga the year before because my aches and pains, IBS, and premenopausal symptoms were taking over every part of me, and it was definitely helping.

When my retirement did begin over nine years ago, I hadn’t anticipated that moving to a new place and house all at once would be stressful when it had been planned years in advance.  Then I also discovered that my retirement list was full of things I didn’t want to do anymore, except for yoga, so I found a class that suited me, and later started teacher training.  I found lots of other new things to do as well when I started looking, like drumming, choir, workshops, Elder College, a forest nearby, and morning walks on the beach.  I’ve even learned Reflexology and Reiki.

Yoga introduced me to the rest of my life, and from it I’ve gone to places where I’m still wondering what the heck am I doing.  Like when I started writing guided relaxations to use for my yoga classes, I discovered I loved how the words went together, and how good it felt to share them with others. 

I chuckle at myself now because I’ve also had to face and work with the other list, my personal flaws and challenges.  I always had low self confidence, problems reading, speaking to others, etc., so I put limitations on what I thought I could do that kept me from reaching forward and outward. 

Yoga teaches me to take my time, try other ways, be patient, and to enjoy and accept what I can do that day.  Each time I do, I gain a bit more awareness, inner strength, courage, confidence, and excitement for other things I can and could do.    

When I made space for surprises, I was able to find out what was really waiting for me, and I’m so grateful my lists and passions now also involve supporting others. 

I journeyed to a place

where I could listen to my heart …

it spoke, I listened!