I was attempting to ski.
It wasn’t going very well.
They don’t tell you how steep those downhills are going to
be.
And I had not figured out how to slow down.
So, I asked my son Bah’Hozhooni for his advice, as he was
clearly doing a lot better at this than me.
“How do keep from going so fast that you feel out of
control?”
“Dad, its simple. You have to just let go. Don’t focus on
trying to slow down. Just let go and let the hill take you as fast as it wants.”
Hmmm.
It is both difficult and beautiful when our children become
our teachers.
Let’s apply Bah’Hozhooni’s wisdom to our life today.
When we find ourselves resisting gravity, frustrated as I was on those hills where I couldn’t stay upright,
1. Take a moment. A deep breath.
2. Ask yourself “How am I resisting?”
3. Dig deeper: “Why am I resisting?” Usually, we are scared of something – name that thing.
4. Ask the question, “What would happen if I just let go?”
5. Try it.
p.s. Anyone available to give me some ski lessons?
To let go is to trust.
ReplyDeleteTo trust requires fearlessness.
To be fearless is to truly know Love.
Very wise and inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThat’s beautiful. It’s funny how as kids we’re so free to let go and enjoy ourselves. For many of us, as we age, the scars from life accumulate and the ability to restrain ourselves becomes increasingly prevalent. It's just how we’re trained or taught to behave. Of course, that restraint can be a positive thing in many instances but it can also inhibit our ability to relax, enjoy ourselves, and be free. You expressed this well, Anthony.
ReplyDeleteBut sometimes when you’re over 40, experience and physical capabilities make it hard to override the bodies natural response to protect itself, and instead, let go. Especially when going down a steep mountain on skis! Pain is real, and falling down at our age tends to hurt a bit more. And last a little longer. Nonetheless, as you’re well aware, those challenging situations are where growth happens. We should embrace those challenges and question the probability of our fears. Conquer your fears, as the saying goes.
For better or worse, there is great power in the mind and how we approach things.
I’m a newbie when it comes to skiing, and I’m not sure what type of ski lessons you’ve had, so maybe you're already familiar with this. We were taught to make a pizza to stop or slow down, and french fries to resume speed. Pizza meant pointing your toes inward so that the front tips of the skis met and formed a point. French fries just meant the skis were straight and parallel to each other.
- Vinay
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