One of my favorite events in New York is the Easter Parade. All along 5th Avenue people from different backgrounds come together to stroll down 5th Avenue in fabulous hats and outfits, expressing their individuality and creative spirit.
This year I saw that spirit was also evident at Rockefeller Center where a woman glided across the ice in her pink Easter outfit complete with bunny ears and fur topped skates.
She seemed so joyful skating to her “own drummer” and moving to her own beat. Watching her and the others dressed up for Easter, I felt joy and delight.
The lady in pink particularly stood out for me. She embodied a kind of living in the moment, “free to be me” spirit.
Often in life we can lose that spirit due to the demands and constraints placed on us by various societal and cultural forces. Of course, sometimes it is appropriate to conform to certain “norms”. But sometimes we can bury or repress our authentic selves and, as a result, loose a little piece of ourselves.
One of the things I love about mindfulness is that it helps us to reconnect to who we truly are. We can get out from under the clutter, noise and pressure of having to be or act a certain way. We can find the space and “inner wisdom’ to see where and what we may be holding back.*
Try sitting quietly and connecting with your breath for a few minutes. Once your mind has settled a bit ask yourself these questions and see what comes up.
· Is there something you are holding back on not doing because the voice in your head is telling you it is silly, stupid, too unconventional, etc.?
· What would it feel like to find the courage to express your authentic self?
This might be a first step towards skating to your own drummer.
*And this is when working with a coach may help in moving past the obstacles that arise.
