keeping the faith

" Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. "

- Helen Keller

You may have heard the saying, " The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." I disagree. For me, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, is... hope. Hope brings me encouragement and shows me signs of improvement.

I like to think that hope travels along with its' good friend, Faith. Holding hands, they follow me throughout all the ups and downs of my life. Hope and faith have seen me fall, and while brushing off my hands and knees, they are there helping me up and encouraging me to try one more time.

As a yoga student, I see how my poses have improved through practice. When I first started yoga, it was pigeon pose, that was the pose that I did not like. I felt like I was doing it wrong and my inner self critic would be there to remind me how ridiculous I looked. But each week, I would continue to do pigeon. Hope and faith were there to quiet the inner critic and to cheer me on, no matter how slow the progression was. Now pigeon pose is my favorite pose, and I take pride in my back arching pigeon; pretty much Yoga Journal, if I do say so myself.

They say, "Practice makes perfect," so, I believe that it is hope and faith that drives the vehicle of doing things over and over again not insanity.

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.

- Desmond Tutu