Setting an example

It’s Wednesday. Officially Day 6 (counting the travel days to get here. Others journals are reflecting Day 4...) and still no bags. “En route” is the status. Whatever that means. We are a 12 hour train ride from Dehli and then in an extremely remote location in a city where there are about 100 million people (an anticipated head count by people in the know. personally, i cant count that high. i can barely count the heads in my classes accurately), so they will get here when they get here. 

Someone commented about how we have really been the teachers of non-attachment through this whole ordeal. The Sri Seven. Awwwwww Yeeeaaaaaahhhh. (just sayin’...). And for those who don’t get that reference, the Sri Seven are primarily people who have gone through the Sri Yoga Teacher Training Program. 

I was a little surprised to hear that comment because I have just been myself this whole time. Not trying to be anything or set any particular example. It got me thinking.

What example do you want to set? My mother insisted that i “set a good example for my younger sisters” and we all know how that turned out. A “good example” - wasted. Or not. They needed my “good example” so they could rebel and find their own way, their own path. Bottomline - examples are not good or bad. They are just examples.

 So setting an example. It can be conscious or unconscious, but make no mistake, we are always setting some sort of an example. Even if we think we are not affecting anyone else, we are, by not affecting them, we are making it okay to not interact or to interact. Throwing a tantrum, complaining, all examples. Maybe seeing the “negative” side, will inspire someone to act positively or negatively. The thing is, we can choose the example we want to set. Even if we are faking it. Pretending to not be bothered by stuff that bothers us. Pretending to go with the flow. Pretending to be mad at someone (yes, it happens). And at some point, we end up setting an example, inspiring others in some way, by just being our Selves. 

There are no right/wrong, good/bad examples. But there are conscious/unconscious examples. This is not to say we always need to be conscious or unconscious. But it becomes quite fun when we start to observe the dynamics of what we are doing. Then we start to understand the complex yet simple fabric of cause and effect. And that is a really big topic. or not. Depending on who is talking about it and why. 

So, you are the example. Period. Be the example that you are. Do you like it? If not, try something else until you find something that works for you. Because regardless of what example you are setting, it will either be appreciated or not, inspiring or not, judged or not. And that’s not your job. Just exemplify because you are anyway.