Stop Studying and Start Practicing

Don't get me wrong; there is value in studying and learning.  Without it we wouldn't have the knowledge, information and tools to try new things to help ourselves grow and change.  However, it's really easy to get stuck in a safe place and wonder why we aren't making any progress. That safe place is a perpetual state of research and study, and since we have more knowledge and techniques to help us along on our journey we can mistakenly think we should be getting better. The truth is nothing can change if we don't DO SOMETHING with all the new things we've learned.

This is a rut I get stuck in time and time again, especially when it comes to my own healing.  For years when I wasn't feeling well and the lab tests said there was nothing wrong, I gradually began to take matters into my own hands by learning about complementary and natural medicine, natural products, and suggestions for diet and exercise. Truth be told, I did way more learning than actually trying out the ideas that I learned. Instead of giving myself Reiki every day I would do it once every couple of weeks or once a month, but I would read about it constantly.  I would read about different meditation techniques and rarely try them.  Every source tells you how important exercise is, yet I would say I felt too tired to even go for a walk. I know how important it is to eat more fruits and vegetables, and it never stopped me from eating at fast food restaurants.

Now in some ways the above paragraph is me just beating myself up again for not being perfect. I did learn a lot and have new things that are a regular part of my life that really make it better - like yoga, Reiki and eating gluten free. Lately, I am trying to apply the simplest practices into my daily life (like walking, meditating, and being in the present moment) and to worry less about studying new things. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. And Big Bird from Sesame Street gets it right, because "Everyone Makes Mistakes." There is still more I can do, and little by little I keep on getting better. Balance really is the key.  If you don't look for new ideas, it's easy to get stuck in a rut.  If you don't practice new techniques long enough or with enough regularity you may not receive the benefits you were looking for and give up on something that may help you. Know when you are stuck and do something about it. Don't punish yourself.  Do the best you can.  And like Nike says, "Just do it!"