A few weeks ago, my handsome hubs and I took golf lessons.
His lesson was first, so for an hour I sat in the car and listened to a podcast while he was working with the instructor. When it was time for me to go to my lesson, I quickly pulled my hair up, put on my hat, and gathered up everything I needed.
Or so I thought.
While I was standing there in the bright sun waiting for my hubby to finish his lesson, I realized I had forgotten my sunglasses. I started to panic.
I’m super photosensitive. I can hardly keep my eyes open when I go outside on a bright day without sunglasses.
I felt my pockets. Not there. I checked on top of my head. Nada. They weren’t hanging around my neck. I looked in all the pockets of my golf bag. Nothing.
After checking all of these places 2 or 3 times, I realized I must have left my sunglasses in the car. Since my lesson was about to start, I didn’t want to take the time to run back to grab them.
I resigned myself to sucking it up and doing the best I could with just my hat to help me manage the beautiful brightness of that autumn day’s sun.
Somehow, I managed.
And then, about 45 minutes into my hour-long lesson, I figured out where my sunglasses were.
Are you ready for this?
I.
WAS.
WEARING.
THEM.
Like…on my actual face.
All that time I was searching in a panic, what I was looking for wasn’t right in front of my face, as the saying goes. It was ON my face.
What I was seeking wasn’t right under my nose. It was ON my nose.
Now, I could have berated myself. I could have started to worry about how I must be going crazy or getting old.
Instead, I just smiled to myself and kept on hitting balls.
At least no one else knew that I had been frantically searching for my sunglasses, which were on my face. If they had, they would have happily pointed out—through shrieks of laughter—where my sunglasses were.
I’m sharing my blooper with you today because, in addition to it being a funny story, I think there are some good nuggets of wisdom hidden amongst the giggles.
Yoga doesn’t make you or your life perfect. I practice A LOT, and I still make mistakes. No matter what Instagram wants us to believe, doing yoga does not automatically give you “the perfect body” or a forever clear, peaceful mind. Nor does yoga make your life suddenly flawless and worry free. You’re already perfect as you are, AND you have the choice to evolve, to practice calming your mind, and to create a happier, healthier, more inspired life. Key word=choice.
Yoga helps you handle those moments of perceived imperfection with greater ease, awareness, grace, and joy. When you get in the habit of practicing Ahimsa (Non-Violence or Peace), you become much more forgiving of yourself. Yoga also teaches you that your embarrassment over your mistakes comes from Asmita (Egoism), one of the five Klesha (Afflictions) that can cause suffering. (See my post Transcending Suffering the Yogic Way for more on egoism and the five afflictions.) Once you learn that who you are is your Soul, not your ego, little flubs like this one matter less and less.
No matter how obvious something related to ourselves might seem to someone else, sometimes we just can’t see it on our own. We all have our blind spots. Thinking you don’t have blind spots is a blind spot. It doesn’t mean you’re bad or wrong. You just haven’t made the discovery yet.
So much of what I do in my classes and coaching is help people see what they haven’t yet been able to see on their own. Whether it’s the unconscious gripping in a student’s shoulders or the answer a coaching client doesn’t realize they already have, I help shine a light so they can see it and decide what they want to do about it.
Because sometimes we all just need someone to help us “find our sunglasses.”
It’s what I’m here to do in this life.
Speak Your Truth
I want to hear about your funny palm-to-the-forehead moments. What happened? What did you do? What did you learn? Comment below and tell me about them!
In wellness, joy, and inspiration,
Tami