In the beginning of last week, I felt determined to finish the remainder of my 300-Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (AYTT) strong. The way I had planned my schedule, I saw that I had 2 1/2 weeks worth of studying and submitting tests and homework, and I got excited! I didn’t feel like I was losing steam or getting burned out, so I was determined more than ever to stay on task until I got to the finish line; but somehow, I was able to really focus and get some serious studying hours in last week, and now, I’m only about a week away from completing my AYTT!
On Monday and Tuesday, I was “in the zone” which helped me to stay focused and studying for hours and hours without feeling mentally drained! so by the time Friday came around, I was able to give myself a little more breathing room and enjoy the day by spending an extended lunch time with one of my best friends. Last week was full of happy moments, but it was had a moment that really tested my character… and I’m so grateful it did!
Early last week, a friend had posted a question on a group chat thread that we’ve had going for a long time. I responded, with the intention to speaking my belief on a certain topic and didn’t think too much about it. But apparently, this created a miscommunication between me and the friend that posted the original question, and the reply I got in that thread from that friend left me feeling accused and misunderstood. I must admit, my initial reaction was to get really worked up and confront that person and throw my own accusations. But instead, I took a step back from the situation to assess it, choosing to give the benefit of the doubt and to think the best of my friend who I felt hurt by. I forced myself to choose humility because I knew that if I responded any way other than out of humility, it would be out of my desire to feel justified, understood, and validated. This told me that a non-humble response would’ve been out of my insecurities and pride. So yes, I chose humility and publicly apologized (in the message thread) because I had to remember that in the grad scheme of life and universe, it didn’t matter who was right.
It was really encouraging to my heart to see that because I had humility constantly in my mind lately because of my AYTT program. A lot of the questions on the Yoga Philosophy quizzes were questions about how we relate to various yogic principles, and in order to answer authentically and honestly, I had to constantly draw deep within from a place of humility. So here are some thoughts about humility that I would like to live by:
PICK AND CHOOSE THE BATTLES YOU FIGHT.
If I tried to fight every battle that comes my way, I will be too tired to fight the battles that really matter. And the battles worth fighting will not come in the form of arguments.
CREATING PEACE TAKES A LOT OF WORK… BUT IT’S ALWAYS WORTH IT.
Peace doesn’t just happen. It has never just “happened” in the history of man, so I can’t expect it to be any different in my situation. Things like LOVE and PEACE always comes at a cost.
YOU DON’T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE RIGHT.
It’s human nature to want to be right. We somehow think that if we admit we’re wrong, people will know that we’re not always right… which means they will know we’re not perfect. The thing is though, they already know that we’re not perfect.
DON’T REACT OUT OF INSECURITIES OR PRIDE.
Instead of reacting, try responding from a place of security and humility. Whenever I know that my desire to defend or justify my words or actions is coming from a place of insecurities or pride, I force myself to be silent and go back to remembering who I am at the core of my authentic self. At the core, I know who I am, so I don’t need to justify or defend myself. This place of security brings about so much peace.
TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT.
Being respectful isn’t about the person you’re showing respect to; it’s about who you are in your character. Whether you realize it or not, we’re all connected in one way shape or form, so being respect to everyone unconditionally ultimately brings that respect back to you. With that said, our motivation to unconditionally respect everyone must not be based on whether or not we think they “deserve” our respect; but rather, it need to be based on the fact that we’re choosing to have a respectful heart which has little to do with them and a lot to do with your soul.
I’m so excited to start (hopefully) my final week of AYTT! I’ve been at this since we moved into our new house in a new state, so I look forward to getting some R&R after this week!
With Gratitude,
Jheni Solis Wellness 
I think that it is always important to accept being wrong or not being right, because this way we can better ourselves, and better the world we are in. Well written post 🙂
I couldn’t agree with you more! 😃