I spent the month of September in Chicago assisting the Forrest Yoga Foundation Training.  While there, I had the amazing privilege to work under Ana Forrest, and three other assistants that each taught me so much, and to work with trainees on their journeys to become FY teachers.  I limited my exposure to news and the “outside world.”  I was active updating my own status, I went nearly radio silent in following others.

As I came back to the world and reality this past week, I realized that while I felt changes brewing within myself that the world was not so much.  And as luck would have it – October 1 was during this same transition.  I set a monthly intention.  After one day in the world, I realized with a few exclamation points that the world needs to be nicer.  While I cannot control the world (yet – my dragon is still a “teenager”), I can impact myself.  Hopefully those around me will notice and process as well.

My intention – to be nicer.  To only surround myself with people and stories and news that uplift.  The latter part is a challenge but I think I have a plan.  Being nicer should be easy – we were taught as children “if we cannot say something nice…” and I’m going to apply this simple logic.  Are my words beneficial?  Are they uplifting?  Are they my truth?  Are they constructive to the growth and development of both my spirit and yours?  If the answer to any of those simple questions is “no,” how do I change my words/attitude to make them so?  Easy breezy, right??

The rest of the world, this is going to be interesting.  In the U.S., there’s a presidential election cycle.  Candidates are resorting to name calling, over speaking, lying (or stretching the truth to the point it no longer looks true), and not speaking of their plans or qualifications.  News anchors buy into that approach and rather than give honest interviews going for the heart of the campaign, they do the exact same thing.  Friends post things on Facebook regularly that while true, may not be uplifting.

I am going to utilize the “Formula for Change” in all of this.  When I catch myself about to read/say/watch/agree with something not so uplifting or nice, I’m going to stop.  I’m going to breathe.  I’ll reward myself with a smile, a grin, or by adding a twinkle to my eye.  And then I’ll change direction and honor my intention.

I’m posting this and challenging anyone who reads to do the same.  The world is filled with enough ugly; let’s all become the Beauty someone else will see.  Who wants to be a #badyogi with me?