Who Is Your Guru?
I texted really awesome news to several people this weekend.
My cheerleaders took 2nd place in their cheer competition in the dance division on Friday. They were incredible. I truly could not be more proud of my girls!
But a really interesting thing happened almost every time I texted people with this news.
My phone auto-corrected girls to gurus every time.
Yes, auto-correct- girls to gurus.
In Sanskrit, guru means teacher.
As much as I have taught these girls to jump, cheer, hit their moves, present themselves with confidence, strength and poise-on and off the court, these girls have taught me so much more.
They have helped me truly embody the Bhagavad Gita's teaching that:
You have a right to the work alone, not to the fruits of your labor.
The hours I have spent teaching and repeating, teaching and repeating and yet when those girls go out there, it is their work they have the right to do. As much as I am so proud of them, I have no right to the fruit of their labor.
This helps us to approach situations in our life with presence, rather than working for the end and for the outcome. When we let go of the outcome, we are blessed far greater than if we held on tightly. We also simply enjoy our process of labor so much more without the panic of the result.
And we all have labors of love. We all have gurus.
Who are you parenting or teaching in your life? What project are you working on that could be better blessed by letting go of the worry of the outcome? Who continues to trigger you because you are hoping they will act a different way towards you?
It's not easy. I know.
It's been years of me clinging, then letting go, clinging and then letting go. It's been in-my-face conscious inside work I've been doing for quite some time.
These little gurus of mine gave me so many opportunities for me to burn through my attachments to result.
It is not the results that define our success.
It is the growth and the wisdom garnered through the process that brings us true happiness.
Holding desire and vision is different than holding onto the fruits of our labor.
Desire and vision are the distinct emotions utilized to manifest the life of our dreams. I have had great desire and vision for these little gurus and my two year vision truly has manifested. It's been an incredible process to hold my desire, yet let go of the how, and just watch how the Universe has brought in the perfect people and details right in the perfect moments.
Holding desire is a vision, a feeling, a want. It's a subtle nuance that is very important.
When we manifest, we hold desire yet let the Universe surprise us with the outcome.
Holding onto the fruits of your labor while you work holds you in a state of anxiety because you feel that it must turn out a certain way. Whereas, releasing that cling to the result allows you to take in the beauty of the process.
Your labor is your reward because your heart will change through that labor. Your mind will expand through that labor. You will become a different person because of your labor.
And that labor alone is the blessing because, through it, you become who you were always meant to be.
Much love,
Erin