Creating Space… To Walk In Your Purpose
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Creating Space …To Walk In Your Purpose
Photo by William Bout on Unsplash
We all have a purpose to fulfill in life, and the path to discovery can be one of the most empowering journeys we will ever walk. ~Tian Philson
“Yesterday was the first day I felt decent in about a week. I fought thru all the things that are making me sad, scraped and clawed to climb out of my dark place so that i could just get myself to even. I repeated my mantra (as my therapist named it) until my head believed it, and once my head believed it, i repeated it some more until my heart believed it. Slowly but surely, little by little, i felt the foot of the elephant lighten off my chest just a little. Until finally i could ever so slowly, inch by inch slide myself from under his grip. This is what depression and anxiety feels like. No one wants to stay in a dark place. Every single day is a fight. But you fight because you know there’s something worth living for on the other side. Anxiety fights to stay in control. Depression fights to give up on everything. I am stronger than both of them. God is my super power, love is my tool. Today i love myself enough to keep fighting.”
This is a real excerpt, from a real journal entry, written by me. Unedited and unmodified. This is what anxiety and depression feel like. And even though quite some time has passed since I wrote that, the pain and the vividness of it all stings behind my eyes and threatens to flow down my cheeks.
And this is why I Flow. This is why I teach. This is why I strive to connect. Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness have taught me so much about caring for my mental health and practicing self care. Yoga has taught me how to overcome past feelings of insignificance and love myself in a way that can ONLY come from within. But it’s a journey, there is always work to be done. And while in my case those feelings of insignificance may have been fueled by anxiety and depression I know that I’m not the only person who has walked, or is walking through a similar journey.
Yoga has also led me on a path to realize that this is one way for me to make my impact in the world. That this is where I can become rooted in purpose. I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. I want people to know that they are cared for. That they are not alone in this world, but also that the feeling of love and acceptance comes from within. Yoga led me through that journey and I believe yoga can have that affect on anyone who wants to explore that path. So, if I get the opportunity to be a conduit for someone else’s journey then I am twice blessed because I get to help another person and ultimately walk in my own purpose.
“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.”
I do believe there is a particular amount of suffering that we face within the Black community that others simply do not understand. I love fully and holistically but I am particularly passionate about sharing the benefits of yoga within my Black community. So often we are made to feel as though we have to swallow our feelings and face the injustice of society. That we have to wear a mask, put on a face, grin and bear it, that over time we are conditioned to believe that feelings of hopelessness and despair are the default. They’re not. And I’m so inspired by everyone that I see embracing their own path to fitness, health and wellness. Young or old, slim or otherwise. The transformation may appear physical, but the manifestation is absolutely mental and emotional. I live for the opportunity to support those on their path to transformation, and for this I continue to press forward and walk in purpose.
We all have a purpose to serve in this world. Discovering mine has been the greatest gift. If you woke up today knowing what your purpose was, I commend you and pray that you are finding the direction and path toward fulfilling it. But if you are still searching, keep going, know that it is within you and will be revealed in due time.
Namaste,
Tian
