Now is the Moment of Power

Now Is The Moment Of Power – Manawa - Huna, Traditional Hawaiian Principles

“It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.” Hugh Laurie

But I kept telling myself, I can’t open my own business now. I’m not ready. It wasn’t until I took a paper in holistic health and wellness and one of the lecturers had recommended a Ted Talk for us to listen to, and the speaker asked three questions: “What would you do if you knew that you could not fail?” then “What would you do if you won a million dollars?” and finally “what would you do if you only had six months left to live?” To each of these questions, I answered I would open a wellness studio.

It takes a huge amount of courage to step away from a regular income and a “good” job. It takes even more determination to step away from the social conditioning that surrounds us, from our parents, the university system and society as a whole to step out into the great unknown. And as time went by, I started to notice that time WAS going by. In fact, it wasn’t just going by, it was fair racing past, literally galloping off and leaving me behind in the dust. And this led to the realisation that if I didn’t step away from my “good” job and open my business as a massage therapist, life would be over all too soon, the window of opportunity would be closed, not just closed but locked and barred. And I would be lying on my death bed wondering what if. And berating myself for not pursuing my dream.

People on their death bed wish a lot of things. And that makes me determined to take their advice and live my life without regrets, being unapologetically ME. People on their death bed often wish they had followed their dreams, not worried about what other people thought and wish they had taken more risks. They wish they hadn’t worked so hard or worried so much. They wish they’d laughed more and spent more time with people they love. So why do we do this to ourselves?

I spent so much time worrying about having a steady income and working in a job that other people respect. I’ve worked much of my life away for companies who make no bones that you’re just another number, that you don’t matter, your contribution doesn’t matter and nothing you do is important at all. And after a while of being devalued this way, it makes you resentful. For a while I was just resentful of the management. But then I started to become resentful of the patients as well. And that’s when I knew it was time to leave.

And it’s been the best thing I’ve ever done. I guess the next question is why didn’t I do it sooner? I’d been cogitating about making the move for almost a decade. I didn’t think I was ready. But really, what is ready? Who is ever ready for anything? What even is ready? In Hawaiian tradition, now is the moment of power. Now is all we’ve got. So if there is something you want to do in Life, Now is pretty good. Do it now.

And finally, I’ve had to accept I am who I am. I dreaded making the facebook page for the business, because as a yogi and massage therapist, I thought I would have to start making those nauseating “love and light” posts. Yes, I work with love and light, but it’s a personal thing, and I don’t feel the need to post about it. So it’s taken some soul searching to conclude that as a yogi and massage therapist, I am still ME. And that I’m happier to post about making rose wine and botanical gin then about love and light. That I eat meat, I hunt and I’m way more comfortable posting venison recipes than making bliss balls. That I don’t even like bliss balls and my heart falls every time I behold them. That I secretly get really depressed when presented with chia seed puddings. And that that’s ok. You don’t have to make my venison recipes or drink my rose wine, you are welcome to enjoy your chia seed puddings and bliss balls. And that doesn’t make anyone less of a yogi or more of a spiritual person. It would be inauthentic of me to pretend to be something I’m not. I guess that is what has taken me the time to accept. I don’t just talk the talk. I walk the walk. But I walk it my way, with a whole lot of glitter, a whole lot of shimmy and whole lot of pixie dust in my wake!