2013 turned out to be a pivotal year for thousands of people who found their lives upturned through job loss. As thousands of people across the world have struggled to find a new place, and a new peace in their lives, many have turned to yoga.
Facing Stress
Facing the stresses of life are hard enough, but when you lose your job, or find your life dominated by your job, the stresses become almost deadly. The many aspects of changing professions can overwhelm many people, and to leave these stresses for something as nebulous as an “exercise program”. However, not only can participating in yoga help you deal with stress, it can actually provide you with an alternate way to make a living, with proper participation.
Ebb and Flow
The ebb and flow of life goes far beyond the “circle of life” concept. Every life has its successes and failures. Rudyard Kipling may have phrased it best in his poem “if”:
“…If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same…
If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss…
Yours is the earth, and everything that’s in it,
and – which is more –
You’ll be a man, my son!”
Yes, dropping out of a job that pays well is risky, but you can deal with the stresses ahead of you. The success and failure of life is part of the overall picture, and with an evolving mind set and growing skills, you can move on to a more fulfilling life.
Start With a Business Plan
This may sound counter-intuitive to shrugging off the coils of stressful business, but to leave your life behind and start a new, fulfilling act of service, you need a business plan. If you have the luxury of planning ahead to leave your life-sucking career, you can work out a plan to ease your transition.
Consider planning out the next three to five years to give yourself a chance to rid your life of unnecessary debt and learn the skills of your new avocation. Yoga has many different schools, and as a yogi, you will want to know as much about each of these schools as possible. If you have a family, you will want to make sure they are provided for with all of the necessities.
Preparation for your new life is a luxury if you lost your job, but a plan will still make all the difference in staying afloat and sinking in your own misdirection and self-doubt.
Faith and Love
Your business plan is a concrete listing of facts and figures that help to give shape to the mechanics of your life. The spirit of your life, however, is shaped by faith and love. You need to keep faith in yourself, regardless of popular opinion or criticism of your former fellow workers. Even family can get in the way of belief in yourself, casting their own doubts on you and presenting a stumbling block.
Remember that you are just starting out, and any startup Yoga company or detox retreat in the UK will have its rough spots. But, you know your own heart and spirit, and you know your goals. Practice verbalizing your goals.
Remember that what you love is the soul of your business, your family, and your life. Many other people out there are looking for strength and peace, and you can be their guide to a better life.
By keeping the faith and love of your life in view, you will remember to care about the other people in your life. You are not a “self made” person – everybody in your life has affected you, and the sooner you can face that, the better. Care about others, without making your success dependent on them.
Realism
Realism is not kind, but neither are dreams that clash with reality. Set reasonable goals, and be realistic with yourself about your skills, your surroundings, and your needs. By being realistic, you actually make your dreams more likely to be actualized. Being realistic means that you face the fact that turning your dream to reality takes time. Being realistic means that you admit that your decision may cause family and friends to worry about you.
Stepping Stones
Successful people in any field will tell you that failures are merely stepping stones. While this may seem trite, it is certainly true. Anyone who succeeds must overcome the stumbling blocks that would make lesser people give up. You must have a bigger picture. If you get stuck watching the small things, you’ll lose sight of the big picture. Christians have a story about one of the original disciples who, at the bidding of Jesus Christ, got out of a boat and walked on the water. But, as the disciple got distracted by the waves around him, he began to sink. He reached out to Christ, who took his hand and brought him to safety.
This story exemplifies the importance of keeping your eye on the goal. When you get distracted by the vagaries of life, you forget the big picture. You lose sight of the goal.
To leave your life of stress and frustration, you can make a plan for fulfillment. Practice yoga, and lead others in the practice, and build your new life and business.