Be a Clown

This weekend I got to spend lots of time with my grandsons, which I love to do.  If the weather is warm, we’re doing something outdoors like playing ball or riding bikes.  This weekend, it was double Frisbee.  Antonio and I threw two Frisbees at a time from the same hand and tried to catch them both.  That was a challenge since they would both go on their separate paths; it was cool to watch, though. 

Next, we moved onto yoga.  The kids tried their bodies at downward facing dog, floor bow (boat pose), standing bow, balancing stick and tree pose.  They loved trying to master the balancing, which is difficult, especially when standing on a bumpy lawn.  Antonio mixed in some gymnastics as he demonstrated back flips, walking on his hands, and cartwheels. 

I actually did a few cartwheels too (for the first time in many years!) and I’m thankful that I didn’t pull a muscle : )  It’s amazing, when you’re young, trying a new move is easy and the last thing we think about is hurting ourselves…   It turned out to be a well-spent afternoon, because later on it down-poured.

I’ve included a picture I took of Carmine that simply astounds me.   He’s in his Halloween costume (a bit early) and playing every bit of his character here.  He truly is a clown in so many ways–he makes me laugh when he dances and pretends he’s a rock star playing a guitar.

In fact, it struck me yet again this weekend how kids don’t think twice about being real, getting silly, and laughing at themselves.  They haven’t yet gotten to the point where they take themselves too seriously and it’s easy for them to shake off any bad feelings and move forward.  Today, I read a tweet from Marianne Williamson that said:  The pro athlete who just made a mistake can’t afford to indulge even a second of self-condemnation; they have to MOVE ON.  And so do we. 

Whatever mistakes we make, we have to forgive ourselves (as well as forgive others) and move forward.  This is huge if we want to move on to our next level of growth.   Fabienne Fredrickson said this at last week’s Mindset Retreat and for some reason, the statement hit me like a bolt of lightening.  I guess I was in the right place to hear it. 

So, as hard as this may be for you–it sure is for me, don’t be afraid to be who you are and make mistakes.  We all do.  But when you do shake them off and move on–you’ll have another lesson under your belt to get you to a better place…

Have a beautiful week!