All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you’re not good enough or strong enough or talented enough, they’ll say you’re the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times until all the NO’s become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. They will tell you no. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES. ~Nike Ad 
I meet a lot of amazing people in my work. People who step across the line of their fear and self-doubt, and say YES. I want to be a teacher. YES. I want to be stronger. YES. I want to live a more vital, productive and passionate life. YES. I have a story to tell and a voice that wants to be heard. YES. I deserve to be here and to be seen.
But of all these people, this one YES makes me the most happy. This YES validates who I am and what I do for a living. Because the person who said this YES is my Mother. She’s 76 years old. And she wants to teach yoga. After just one weekend of teacher training, with the amazing Master Trainer Amy Davis, my Mamasita has a desire to teach yoga to seniors in her small town.
Before the weekend, she called me several times. She was nervous. We talked about how nervous and excited are the same thing. She doubted her physical ability. I reassured her that there were all body types and all ranges of yoga experience in this group. She was concerned about leaving her life and obligations for three long days. I told her to get over it and do something for herself for once in her life. (Sidenote…I can get away with that, she’s my Mom) I honestly thought I would get a call after the first day telling me it wasn’t for her. Instead, I got a call from her saying she had found a home, and several new friends, and a calling in life. YEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!
Folks, it’s never too late to learn something new, to say YES to something that scares the living crap out of you. And seriously, who wants living crap IN them anyway? You don’t have to start with a 6 month commitment. How about a 6 minute commitment? 6 minutes of running. 6 minutes of yoga. 6 minutes of meditation. 6 minutes of listening with your heart to a loved one. These things don’t sound scary, except to those of us who value time like it’s gold. It is scary for me to pause and do anything but GO. So I say YES to the pause today. What will you say YES to?
PS…Happy Mothers’ Day! If you are a Mother, please give your children the gift this Mothers’ Day of saying YES to something new and big and scary. Show them what it means to say YES, when the world, and the voices in your head are saying NO.
So happy for your mom! And for all the people she will help…we NEED senior teachers! My mom goes to a chair yoga class – she’s 85 and in good health – but a couple of teachers who have substituted have been horrible, and dangerous! There aren’t enough good instructors who can teach for seniors and show them how to modify. Tell your mom thanks from me and all those who need her!
My heart has cautiously been open my whole life I can’t even tell you the lessons I have learned from just watching your Mom, my sister, this experience fills me with joy and gratitude, and the desire to say…Yes. I love you and I am so proud of you for the light and joy you provide in this world. Love, Aunt Lydia
A new adventure, scary and exciting all at the same time. Getting out of my comfort zone for the first time in a long long time. Finally saying yes to my amazing daughter has put me on a path to becoming a new person. I’m just sorry I have waited this long because it is harder to step out of that circle of life that I have enclosed myself in. Thank you my sister for the kind words, I love you. I have an amazing trainer in Amy Davis and many new friends. Looking forward to the next 5 months with them. Thank you Denise for your support, encouragement and love.