Start where you are…

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

The observation and exhortation was aptly stated by Arthur Ashe, a professional tennis player in the 1960s and 70s. These words, this approach, so resonate with me that it is one of my mantras in the yoga practices I guide. The words are on a tile that greets everyone when they come to practice.

Start where you are. Realistically, where else could you begin? This holds true for so much that we undertake in life. We have what we have, we know what we know, we are what we are, and that is where we begin. From there, anything is possible!

Use what you have. Your breath, your body, your brain, your effort, your curiosity, your creativity, your fear, your hesitation, it is all available to use. Whatever you have, you can grow it, change it, adapt it, tweak it; it’s there for you to use, however you choose.

Do what you can. Try. That is the only way to find out what you are able to do. Each “try” is a practice, an attempt to do something. It is only by trying that you find out what you can already do, what you need to learn, and where you may benefit from some assistance. Take it to your gentle edge, where any more would be too much and any less not enough.

We all start somewhere, so try this: start where you are, use what you have, do what you can, and take it from there!