Find Your Passion…Come Alive!!!
BY Heather Zollman
July 20, 2018
Hello Friend! Nice to see you here again:) Grab a coffee or tea and your favorite chocolate and let’s get cozy…and REAL! It’s time to focus on YOU, and to start that I’m going to give you a little background on ME:) Huh?
Let’s travel back to 5 years ago in Heather’s life. My kids were 12ish, 9ish and 5ish years old. (I added ish on the end to relay “about.” It was easier than actually figuring out EXACTLY where their ages landed 5 years ago to this day:) ) My youngest son, Johnny, was going to begin his Kindergarten year in school, which of course was huge for him and for me! My husband and I chose for me to be a stay-at home-mom while kids were little. I was lucky enough to stay home for 12 years. I am an elementary school teacher by trade, so I did some subbing, some work at the newspaper, worked at a gym, taught yoga and pilates . . . all on a very part-time basis. Mostly I stayed home. I feel so blessed to have been able to do that! I wouldn’t trade those days for anything, and actually I would LOVE to go back some days and have them again! Especially since I have a son approaching his junior year in high school, and the days and years are FLYING by! As the time for all of my children to be in school full time approached, I contemplated the question…what does that mean for me? My identity was being Bryan’s (the town newspaper editor’s) wife and Jacob, Sydney and Johnny’s mom. My days consisted of and revolved around what was going on with the kids. Somewhere in there, I had to not redefine myself, but add my own “thing,” my purpose in addition to being mom. I love teaching kids and teaching in the classroom, but my heart wasn’t being tugged in that direction as a full time career. I felt like there was something else I was supposed to do.
I used to cherish the small window of time when the kids would take a nap as my time to do something for myself. After the house work was caught up, I would pop a yoga video in and practice in the family room. I remember Bryan walking in one day when I was finished and I had reached my “yoga high”(a blissful stage of feeling wonderful and relaxed after yoga. I said, “I could do yoga for 8 hours a day and not get sick of it!” His response…”That’s what you should do then!” I guarantee that THAT Heather would not believe the Heather today would own a business she created around something she was so passionate about! I never planned on being a business owner. Never imagined I would have a yoga studio built onto my home! When I prayed and meditated on what path to take and what career to pursue in this time of figuring out what I wanted to do, I would always ask God…what do YOU want from me? How do you want me to use my talents to help others? Please guide me…I will listen.
It’s amazing what happens when you stop to listen. When you get really quiet. When you let yourself be led. Now, trust me when I say this…following your passion is not always going to be easy…no way! I am not trying to paint this picture of pure bliss with no glitches, because that is not reality. I have made choices along the way that looking back maybe weren’t the best business wise, but I would never classify them as mistakes. I believe everything happens for a reason, and the way we react to these things help us to shape and grow our life.
So how did I know this path was worth pursuing? Well, when I took time to slow down and really listen it’s what kept coming. Also, the feeling I would get when people stopped to ask for advice on poses and breathing techniques that could help them with specific things going on physically or mentally through the last 14 years of teaching. The excitement I felt when others got excited about the physical practice, or a realization they came to during a class. I was told many times that I looked like I came alive and looked sparkly when I talked about yoga. What I felt while helping others in any way I could through teaching ….that’s what I wanted to DO. I wanted to feel THAT for me and for them. I wanted to see people get excited about THEIR lives! I wanted to help people realize that they COULD feel their very best using tools that I could help them learn. Their is a quote that kept coming up while I was in this contemplating process on what path to pursue…”Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.”
So let’s bring this back around to YOU (about time right?). Here’s my question for you…what makes you come alive? What lights you up inside? What comes to you when you still your mind and body enough to listen? What brings you joy? Sit or lie down and breathe a slow, relaxed, steady breath. Have a notebook or journal next to you when you do this. You never know what might come up! Some of the greatest ideas come through stillness. I like to carry little notebooks, post-its and pens with me in my purse, have them in the bathroom (great ideas also come while taking a shower), kitchen, the car…everywhere! Have them on hand, so that you are ready to record the amazing thoughts you are going to have:) Now, make a list of the things you do in a regular day. When you look at that list, are your sparkle finders on there? If writing brings you joy, are you doing that in a regular day? If creating music, or coaching, working with children, gardening, reading, exercising…whatever brings you joy isn’t anywhere on the list…it’s time to change it up friend! Add it in! Make time for it!
I am blessed to be able to do what I LOVE and help people through a practice that I am PASSIONATE about! I want the same for you!!! Take some time to focus on it. And then get your butt out there and do it! Make it happen! And have a blast doing it:)
Blessings,
Yogamama
July 20, 2018
Hello Friend! Nice to see you here again:) Grab a coffee or tea and your favorite chocolate and let’s get cozy…and REAL! It’s time to focus on YOU, and to start that I’m going to give you a little background on ME:) Huh?
Let’s travel back to 5 years ago in Heather’s life. My kids were 12ish, 9ish and 5ish years old. (I added ish on the end to relay “about.” It was easier than actually figuring out EXACTLY where their ages landed 5 years ago to this day:) ) My youngest son, Johnny, was going to begin his Kindergarten year in school, which of course was huge for him and for me! My husband and I chose for me to be a stay-at home-mom while kids were little. I was lucky enough to stay home for 12 years. I am an elementary school teacher by trade, so I did some subbing, some work at the newspaper, worked at a gym, taught yoga and pilates . . . all on a very part-time basis. Mostly I stayed home. I feel so blessed to have been able to do that! I wouldn’t trade those days for anything, and actually I would LOVE to go back some days and have them again! Especially since I have a son approaching his junior year in high school, and the days and years are FLYING by! As the time for all of my children to be in school full time approached, I contemplated the question…what does that mean for me? My identity was being Bryan’s (the town newspaper editor’s) wife and Jacob, Sydney and Johnny’s mom. My days consisted of and revolved around what was going on with the kids. Somewhere in there, I had to not redefine myself, but add my own “thing,” my purpose in addition to being mom. I love teaching kids and teaching in the classroom, but my heart wasn’t being tugged in that direction as a full time career. I felt like there was something else I was supposed to do.
I used to cherish the small window of time when the kids would take a nap as my time to do something for myself. After the house work was caught up, I would pop a yoga video in and practice in the family room. I remember Bryan walking in one day when I was finished and I had reached my “yoga high”(a blissful stage of feeling wonderful and relaxed after yoga. I said, “I could do yoga for 8 hours a day and not get sick of it!” His response…”That’s what you should do then!” I guarantee that THAT Heather would not believe the Heather today would own a business she created around something she was so passionate about! I never planned on being a business owner. Never imagined I would have a yoga studio built onto my home! When I prayed and meditated on what path to take and what career to pursue in this time of figuring out what I wanted to do, I would always ask God…what do YOU want from me? How do you want me to use my talents to help others? Please guide me…I will listen.
It’s amazing what happens when you stop to listen. When you get really quiet. When you let yourself be led. Now, trust me when I say this…following your passion is not always going to be easy…no way! I am not trying to paint this picture of pure bliss with no glitches, because that is not reality. I have made choices along the way that looking back maybe weren’t the best business wise, but I would never classify them as mistakes. I believe everything happens for a reason, and the way we react to these things help us to shape and grow our life.
So how did I know this path was worth pursuing? Well, when I took time to slow down and really listen it’s what kept coming. Also, the feeling I would get when people stopped to ask for advice on poses and breathing techniques that could help them with specific things going on physically or mentally through the last 14 years of teaching. The excitement I felt when others got excited about the physical practice, or a realization they came to during a class. I was told many times that I looked like I came alive and looked sparkly when I talked about yoga. What I felt while helping others in any way I could through teaching ….that’s what I wanted to DO. I wanted to feel THAT for me and for them. I wanted to see people get excited about THEIR lives! I wanted to help people realize that they COULD feel their very best using tools that I could help them learn. Their is a quote that kept coming up while I was in this contemplating process on what path to pursue…”Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.”
So let’s bring this back around to YOU (about time right?). Here’s my question for you…what makes you come alive? What lights you up inside? What comes to you when you still your mind and body enough to listen? What brings you joy? Sit or lie down and breathe a slow, relaxed, steady breath. Have a notebook or journal next to you when you do this. You never know what might come up! Some of the greatest ideas come through stillness. I like to carry little notebooks, post-its and pens with me in my purse, have them in the bathroom (great ideas also come while taking a shower), kitchen, the car…everywhere! Have them on hand, so that you are ready to record the amazing thoughts you are going to have:) Now, make a list of the things you do in a regular day. When you look at that list, are your sparkle finders on there? If writing brings you joy, are you doing that in a regular day? If creating music, or coaching, working with children, gardening, reading, exercising…whatever brings you joy isn’t anywhere on the list…it’s time to change it up friend! Add it in! Make time for it!
I am blessed to be able to do what I LOVE and help people through a practice that I am PASSIONATE about! I want the same for you!!! Take some time to focus on it. And then get your butt out there and do it! Make it happen! And have a blast doing it:)
Blessings,
Yogamama