Sunday, October 21, 2007

The Willingness to be Strong

My friend Stephanie Bass, writer and strategic planner, had just come from her yoga class. We were having lunch at Logan's, a garden store with a cafe in an old railway station.

She and I started a group about ten years ago that we call Mystic Pizza. It's a bunch of what might be referred to by others as New Age types who meet for lunch once a month to discuss things metaphysical. She missed the last lunch. We were catching up.

Her news from her inner world: the yoga class had been turning into a struggle, especially with poses that required upper body strength. UNTIL she recently had the thought: I AM WILLING TO BE STRONG.

Since then, she has had far less trouble. When she hits a tough spot, she tells herself she can go a little farther. And a little farther. And when she hits a wall, she just stays comfortable there.

As a result, she has become physically stronger. And the attitude is spilling over into the rest of her life: a bit more calm strength than she thought she had, which leads to more still.

I guess I wanted to tell you about the location of the restaurant, The Seaboard Cafe, because both the willingness to be strong and the surrounding plants and the fact that we got much-much-needed rain today all felt so healthy and refreshing.

I feel stronger and more clear-eyed just from the conversation.