“The foundation of the Buddha’s teachings lies in compassion, and the reason for practicing the teachings is to wipe out the persistence of ego, the number-one enemy of compassion.”
““Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama
We sold our restaurant to a great guy, and we’re so happy and grateful we did. As with every experience in our lives, we asked ourselves, “What’s the lesson here? What do we need to learn? What do we need to do differently?”
Stress can be insidious, so I believe it’s best to stay in tune and aware in order to nip it in the bud.
“But wait,” you say. “You practice yoga every day, and you were unaware of the stress the restaurant was causing you, Sister?”
Yes, I do practice yoga every morning. And while what you ask seemed to be true on the outside, I actually was aware””my Spirit was, that is. My mind had a whole different plan and (lack of) awareness.
We built our restaurant, Prana, from love and spirit because it was our dharma to bring healthy food to Newton Corner, Mass. We jumped, operating straight from our hearts, even though we had no restaurant experience (and those we knew with restaurant experience warned us mightily).
When we sold it, a few people were surprised that we gave the new owner “rights” to the name Prana, and this confused me. Because I wanted Prana to live on””I just didn’t wanna own a restaurant anymore.
Then my Spirit provided clarity. If we were operating from ego, we wouldn’t have wanted to give the owner the name. But we’re not. We just want people to have delicious, healthy food available to them.
I knew someone years ago who had a company he built from the ground up. He put a ton o’ dough and time and energy into it, but ultimately, it didn’t fly. He was about to file for bankruptcy about a decade later, and the Universe sent an angel. In corporate clothing. She made him a great offer””to buy the company, keep the name and make it fly.
He declined.
At the time, people criticized him, saying his decision was all ego. They said he should have sold his company and let the new owner take it where it was meant to go. At the time I judged and agreed with “people.” But now, after going through this experience, I have compassion for that business owner. He has a story we know nothing about.
So the next time you’re gonna judge someone for what you “see” on the outside, step back and send them light instead. Then watch your day””and life””get even better.
Have the best day ever!
Namaste!
Taylor plus 5
Taylor Wells, M.A., M.Ed., RYT, owns Prana Power Yoga, Inc., super-mom.com and Prana Super-mom Consulting. She is also a Boston Herald columnist and blogger, United Nations Yoga Peace Ambassador, activist, and happy Super-mom of 5 kids.