By LeeAnn Starovasnik, Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner
Falling. That thing that no one ever wants to do. Yet I expect everyone has done more than once. While learning to walk, ride a bike, ice/roller skate, ski, etc. When we were first learning to walk and fell after the first step or two, what happened? Often times the big people cheer, try to film the attempts and are thrilled! Why is it then, when as adults, we attempt to do something for the first time that we're so hard on ourselves if we fall, fail, or don't "get it" the first few times?
It's unfortunate that we don't commonly celebrate our first approximations as much as we do the child's. It's all about learning. Learning is a process. We can get better at most things with practice and eventually they may become a habit. I've been coaching tobacco users on how to quit this highly addictive habit for over 7 years now. It's not easy. And most take over 5 serious attempts to become successful. Each failed attempt provides an opportunity to learn. What worked? What didn't? What additional tools, resources and/or support are needed to have a different outcome? When I share this "learning" re-frame with them they often exhale and hold their experience differently.
We're all in a lifetime learning experience. No one I know has had any practice in navigating a pandemic while protesting for long overdue changes. This new territory is ripe for learning. From what works and what doesn't. We're all getting opportunities to practice changes to our routines. As a result, we may become more comfortable with some and create new habits with the changed protocols for cleaning, social distancing, wearing masks and isolating if you have symptoms. These are not bad things to get good at.
Some are reading and viewing history that was absent in our schooling. There have been celebrations, happy hours and classes like Awareness Through Movement® over Zoom or similar technology platforms. Some are becoming comfortable and are creating a new habit. Did some have technical challenges, including me? Yes, did anyone cheer us on? I did my best to, even when I was the one that had an issue. We're all learning and getting better with practice.
I commend everyone for trying new ways of increasing awareness, compassion and improving functioning. Is online learning right for everyone? Perhaps not. Is it time to gather in a classroom? Not yet for me. I'm grateful that you know what works for you and what doesn't, and we're all choosing what's best for us as individuals.
When we have to, we find new ways to get the job done and hopefully find resilience we didn't know we had. It seems our collective resilience is being tapped right now. It's time for us as individuals and collectively to find new and improved ways to get our "jobs" done for the good of all. Will we stumble and fall on the way to better? Most likely. Will anyone cheer? I hope so. Here's some words of wisdom from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.