1 word for you...Don't miss this one!
Dear Soul Dive,
How’s the new year going so far? The week flew by and it feels like today was the first day I actually knew what day it was. I’ve been spending a great deal of time in reflection. Looking back on where we came from and envisioning what is sure to be a bright future for the studio and our community. Leading up to the new year I was focused on coming up with my word for 2024. Releasing the pressure to keep the word for the whole 12 months, and aligning with one that felt right even for now. The word I landed on is JOY.
I have spent years creating. Years putting all the pieces together so I could someday actually live the incredible life I was setting up for myself. I share a lot about this in my book (she drops in June!)… but to take a peek behind the curtain, the last company I owned was one I designed so I could settle down, create a family and still maintain a career. Spoiler alert, the woman I hired actually got to live this life (and I’m eternally grateful for that!) but alas, I did not. Because I never slowed down to step into the life I was building. I sped right over all the freedom and flexibility to keep chasing more. More clients, more money, more of everything. It was never enough because I didn’t have joy.
This time around things are different. Not because I’m saying so, but because I’m living them so. I choose joy because what’s it all for if we’re complacent or worse, miserable? Why put so much blood, sweat and tears behind something if it lacks happiness? I had to get really honest with myself this year. Sure, starting anything from scratch comes with challenges, long hours and sacrifice. Check, check and check. But if there is no joy, is it really my purpose?
I can tell you this. Creating Soul Dive is and was divinely aligned with my purpose. But dying on the solo-preneurial hill was not. To receive joy requires not only awareness but a commitment to create enough space it can flow in. It requires me to slow down, say yes to life giving things even if it means something else has to wait. It requires saying no, resting more, rushing less, trusting more, fearing less.
The most challenging thing I’ve taken on might be aligning with joy. It’s easy to be stressed, overworked and tired. It’s hard to pull yourself out and say no, take a nap and fill up. Joy feels like the all-encompassing word for my last few words. Faith, love and freedom were the big 3 from the last 5 years. What do they all have in common? To me, joy! So I choose joy, and I’ll likely have to wake up and choose it everyday from here on out. Because somehow along the way joy left the building as our default. Let’s bring that back, shall we? Let’s proceed with joy because we’re saying yes to the things we actually want to do and no to those we don’t - regardless of who's feeling might be hurt in the process.
If you missed it, Soul Dive hopped on the IN & OUT bandwagon. Here’s our list:
IN: Community, Connection, Joy, Abundance, Flow, Love, Play, Surrender
Out: Obligation, Exhaustion, Force, Toxicity, Complacency
To bring it back to the mat, here are a few things going on this month that bring me GREAT JOY to share!
Community Classes! We have 3 in January…all Sunday at 10am!
1/7 w/ Kim
1/14 w/ Petra
1/21 w/ Carla
I’m leading our Vision Board workshop next Sunday, January 14th 1-4pm! See all the details online and join us!
Carl closes out the month with Yoga for Golfers!
Not a golfer? No problem!
Come experience this mobility-infused experience that will get your body ready for anything - on and off the course.
Wishing you all an abundance of joy!
Can’t wait to see you out in the wild and on the mat!
Joy & love,