Chiroyogi, a reader of my blog, left the quote above on my post about my future plans for Compass Yoga. At first, I was struck by how simple this universal law seems and then after I reflected on all of the “coincidental” turning points in my life, I realized how true it is. In our society we focus so much on what we need to do, where we need to go, and how we’re going to make it all work. How often do we really ask ourselves why? Not often enough, even though understanding the why of our thoughts and actions holds all of the real wisdom.
In relation to Compass Yoga, I thought for a long time about how the company might be structured so I could work on it full-time, where it would be based, and who it would serve. I never really stopped to ask why. Or as yoga teacher Elena Brower so eloquently discussed at the Urban Zen event I attended this week, I wasn’t focusing enough on why my mission of serving the under-served is so important to me. I knew it was valuable, unique work to build a business around. I just wasn’t digging deep enough and therefore hadn’t recognized what really fascinates me about the under-served population: the complexity of their situations gets my blood pumping like nothing else.
I really love challenges that have lots of layers and dimensions. I am fascinated by revelations that slowly come into focus one small detail at a time and then the rush I feel when all of a sudden the connections between the dots are so clear. And this fascination, the why, helped me find a mission statement, partnerships, a staffing model, a business structure, and revenue streams that I had never even imagined as possible. The Universal Law stands: once I answered why I am so passionate about helping the under-served through yoga, the how fell right into my hands as if the Universe just gently placed the answers in my lap and then left as quietly as it had approached. It was eerie and beautiful and if it hadn’t happened to me with such precision, I might not have believed it was even possible.
I’ve heard the saying, “Every problem contains the seeds to its own solution.” To be honest, I never really believed that until now. The sayings in the realm of problem solving that have always resonated with me much more come from Albert Einstein: “Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value” and “It’s not that I’m smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
It’s no wonder that a man like Einstein, someone who uncovered so many Universal Laws himself, would have a personal philosophy that falls so perfectly into line with the Universal Law that Chiroyogi left in his blog comment on my post. Find the answer to why you’re moving in a certain direction by sitting with the question and focusing on making a valuable contribution to humanity. The answer is sure to arise.
Christa Avampato 