“Plants are more courageous than almost all human beings: an orange tree would rather die than produce lemons, whereas instead of dying the average person would rather be someone they are not.” – Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Don’t you love that quote?  I want to be as brave as an orange tree (randomly telling people this may not be in my best interest however!)

There is an evolutionary desire in everyone. Some people are tapped into theirs, some not as much. Each of us has a different awareness of what it is we really want to do. We have different names for this: yearning, purpose, bucket lists, aspirations. In yoga, we use the word Dharma, which has no single translation into English, but we say things like “the truth of one’s nature”, “innate right action”, “in accordance with yourself”. Imagine our world if our language did have words like this!!

Lately I have been having conversations with people who are stepping into their Dharma. No longer putting off living their life purpose, Dharma,  because they don’t have … XYZ. 

What is your XYZ? 

These are all the reasons we tell ourselves that we can’t act. 

• I don’t have that certification/degree/years of experience
• I don’t know how to use technology the way I need to
• I don’t have the financial security to take that kind of risk
• Who am I to think I could do something like that?
• It is too late to make changes

The excuses are flying into my brain as I write. I have said them all to myself in the past and allowed them all to be true for periods of time. 

Who is a person who hears all these things and says “What the hell, I am doing it anyway” and sets about to create the life of their dreams? That person has some audacity!

I have Audacity. 

People change drastically when they commit to taking their life seriously. When we do small mundane things efficiently we create expansive time and energy to do the big things. This is what Ayurveda gives us, a tool box of small simple things to help us build our energy reserves. 

When we can leash an abundance of energy we find health, strength, vitality. This energy creates opportunity for creating, building a business, taking risks, filling in knowledge gaps with new learning, investing in things that fascinate you. This energy grows competence to live aligned with your deep evolutionary desire. Damn it is good. 

Doing small mundane daily actions, allows life to be more energy-efficient. The surplus energy starts to grow and accumulate. An ample reservoir building for all the things that help us step into our evolutionary desire. You can feel the cycle of support you create with each small self-supporting action. 

My teacher, Cate Stillman, asked us once “Who are you waiting for permission from to live your best life?” 

Who, outside of yourself,  is even capable of that? If you can give yourself permission to live your best life, wouldn’t that be the most efficient way? 

“Do not wait for a coronation; the greatest emperors crown themselves.” ― Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power

Juicy stuff.

Here are the 10 basic habits of Ayurveda. Practice them, build your energy, and be audacious. 

And if you want to start Journaling your next step….. Try this exercise.

Tap into the stuff going on around here to start building that excess energy, or consider joining me in the Year of YOU to live into your audacious dharma.