What is Success?
So much has changed over the past six years.
The Pandemic Pivot
Collectively, our lives were upended by the pandemic. In that shared experience, we faced a strange contradiction: we became physically disconnected to keep ourselves and others safe. Our patterns and routines shifted to accommodate social distancing, and many continued even after the threat had eased.
An Unexpected Beginning
It was during this time that I tried to launch a wellness business integrating neuroscience and yoga. The plan was to host retreats in inspiring locations where people could learn about brain health and how yoga supports healthy aging. My colleague and I are passionate about both areas, and each have more than thirty years of experience in neuropsychology. We are also seasoned yoga practitioners, having attended classes and maintained personal practices for nearly as long.
To say our timing was poor would be an understatement. Like many things in life, we had no way of knowing what the future held or where our paths would lead.
The timing of letting go
After several failed attempts to launch, my colleague and I accepted defeat and closed the business. We had poured our hearts and souls into the venture—not to mention countless hours and dollars—so letting it go was deeply disappointing. Still, it would have been foolish to keep pushing the same idea when the world was not ready for what we were offering. Timing really is everything, and ours simply was not right.
The Practice of Beginning Again
As with any loss, I needed time to mourn. But as I emerged from that disappointment, I began to recognize the lessons failure can offer. Time and effort are never truly wasted; they add to a psychological bank of insight about ourselves. In the face of adversity, we can either collapse or choose to rise and continue forward. The ending may not be what we first imagined, but having the courage to begin, and the strength to adapt when challenges arise, is its own form of success.
Struggle is temporary
In this respect, building a business is much like building a yoga practice. It takes courage to try something new and a real commitment of time and effort to get started. Even then, there is no guarantee that your investment will lead to the perfect pose. At some point, you may accept that a pose is not yet within your reach, but that does not mean it will always be inaccessible—or that you should give up on yoga altogether. Struggle is temporary. By listening to your body, you learn to adapt. In the end, your pose may look different from what you first imagined, but it can be just as valuable as your original goal.
Carrying the Lesson Forward
Yoga has been a powerful teacher. It has taught me courage, tenacity, and how to adapt in times of struggle. Most importantly, it has shown me that success is not defined by the outcome, but by the willingness to try. Whether or not I work in a formal yoga setting, I carry these lessons into other areas of my life. That is how I choose to define success.
Anne has worked in healthcare for over thirty years and co-authored a workbook on Women's Brain Health:
Women In Mind Workbook: Neuroscience of Mind Body Medicine for Optimal Cognitive & Mental Health https://www.amazon.com/Women-Mind-Workbook-Neuroscience-Cognitive/dp/1667871005
She has practiced Iyengar yoga since 2000 and maintains her daily practice at home in Squamish, BC.