Too often we get focused on comparing our success to others, whatever the goal is we are working on. But perspective is probably our biggest ally in stopping this bad habit from taking away our joy in our own progress. I remember back in my yoga days looking at girls much younger and more flexible than I was, and thinking to myself, “oh I could never do that, I’m not flexible enough”, and just by comparing my chapter 1 with their chapter 10, I was already devaluing my potential. And then in advanced class one day I happened to see the son of @kareemabduljabbar_33 in the middle of a full Pigeon Pose and he was this incredibly muscular guy and I realized in that moment: if he could do it, I could do it. Seeing someone much more muscular than me, and male, lit hope in me again that I had untapped potential inside of me that I could only realize if I got out of my own way. At that time I was struggling to do Tree Pose because my hips were so tight from a lifetime of sports. I was 35 at the time. From that moment I asked questions from people in a position to help me, “what can I do to become more flexible?”. I started doing flexibility training daily. I went to yoga class early and stayed a bit later to got in extra stretching. I went to “yoga camps” where we did 50 backbends a day. I entered yoga competitions to push myself even further. And a couple of years I went from inflexibility to being able to balance on my hands and place my feet on my head. At 37! ❤️ It just took an inner vision, true hope and desire, and a willingness to do the work and trust the process. When you are embarking on a long and seemingly impossible task, you cannot get attached to the outcome. It can be years before the fruits of your labour are tangible. You really have to find joy in the day-to-day routine that must be followed to give you the end goal. Consistency and effort are everything in the long game. As long as you are headed in the right direction, surrounded good guides, and constantly calibrating your direction, you will have the journey you seek. Don’t worry about how fast you are going. Just choose the right timeline for your journey so you can enjoy it. ❤️