Take the leap

posted by Melissa Baumgart

When I read Amy's last post, I was immediately struck by her words, "I like thinking that the body (like ones vocabulary) can be altered and improved no matter what age you are. There's always a starting place."

It brought me back to a Bikram Choudhury quote that I have shared before, I really love it and find it inspirational.

"You're never too old, never too bad, never too late and never too sick to start from the scratch once again."  

The view from the top of my impossible hike.

Which leads me to another Bikram quote, one that I live up to every once in a while,

"If you can, you must."  

It's just that with my self-critical nature, that particular quote can get me into some mental trouble.

I decided to search for more inspiration to share, hoping that one of them would resonate with you.  They encompass thoughts on taking risks, taking that first step toward something you might think impossible, and on having the courage to keep going when all you want to do is quit.

Here you go...

 “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” -George Elliot

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” -Lao Tzu

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
"  -Mark Twain

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” -C. S. Lewis


“You have to risk going too far to discover just how far you can really go.” - T.S. Eliot


"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage." -Anais Nin

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
" - Eleanor Roosevelt

"Well done is better than well said." 
 - Benjamin Franklin

"It's always too early to quit." - Norman Vincent Peale

And in honor of our next class, the flying trapeze...
"Leap, and the net will appear."  - John Burroughs 


I plan on picking one at random and bringing it into my yoga practice today, and see what happens.
Let me know if you choose one for your own inspiration today.
-Melissa