You Are Here

"It's great to be here. It's great to be anywhere." — Keith Richards

Here we are, at the brand-new beginning of another spin around the sun, new calendars posted on our bulletin boards, and a whole new (or old-but-recommitted-to) set of resolutions.

But hold on a second. There's a little piece of wisdom I picked up years ago in yoga, and like all little pieces of wisdom, I've carried it along and continually found new ways to apply it to Life and The Universe. It's this: Yoga is all about meeting yourself where you are. And where you are is right here and now.

I have no doubt that this is not the first time I've brought that idea up on this page. But, like I said, as you grow, the ideas that resonate grow with you. And the more I think about it, the more I think that this idea of meeting yourself in the moment applies not just to yoga, but, potentially, to everything else, too.

But let me back up a second and break it down. What does this even mean? Well, in yoga, it's meant to convey that the practice is not about some future point or end goal. Yoga, as a practice, is about self-assessment in a particular moment. It's about getting present, and recognizing and working with where you are on the path—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually—right now.

Broadening the scope outward from the day-to-day yoga practice, I've begun to think of how this applies to the everyday.

We are never finished. For each of us, the end point is a mystery, and it could arrive at any moment.

And so, we ought to be careful not to put too much stock in some imaginary happiness that will arrive when we accomplish X, Y or Z. We might never get there, but we will always be right here.

Which is not to say that goals and resolutions are irrelevant, or that we shouldn't seek to improve. Rather, we should continually remind ourselves not to sink the value of Right Now in favor of some arbitrary and elusive finish line. We can only reach our goals—goals for ourselves and goals for what we hope to pass on to the generations that come after us—by recognizing and working with the present.

So, it's January again. And, like every January, I have my own list of resolutions, personal and professional. Likewise, I'd imagine many of you have your lists of resolutions and goals, whether centered on the beginning of the year or long-term and long-established. Perhaps those goals are personal (eat healthier, exercise more, get away from the screen and in personal contact with other humans, etc.). I hope some of them are professional (learn more and advance in your career, improve operations at your facility, add programs to reach more people, come up with a better marketing plan, etc.) And, like always, in these pages, we aim to bring you content and ideas that can help you move yourself, your facility, your team and the audience you serve a little bit further along the path toward those goals.

But, just for a minute, let's all take a breath and appreciate the great gift of being Here and Now, in this moment, warts and all. We'll all keep moving along, sometimes in baby steps and sometimes in giant leaps, and occasionally making a backwards step or two before regrouping and continuing along.

But, right now, you are here.

Cheers!

Emily Tipping
Editorial Director,
Recreation Management
[email protected]