How To

How To Make A Life

September 20, 2011

How to Make a Life

 


First:

Take everything you’ve ever learned and everything

You’ve yet to discover and place it in a box labeled Thank You.

Second:

Take a picture of your face and remember

That in many years time you will be amazed at how gorgeous you were.

Be amazed now.

Third:

Find someplace to live.

Make sure it has the ability to let light fall

Across the room in such a way that every so often,

You’ll stop and mouth the words “Ah, sunlight.”

Before you finish dusting the books.

Don’t let the books get dusty.

 

Fourth:

Fall in love.

Touch. More than you think.

Have a child if you want one.

If you don’t, don’t.

Let your child out into the world

Discovering for themselves just how magical

It is. Or it isn’t.

It’s theirs to decide.

 

Fifth:

Get a job.

Remember this job is not who you are.

Sixth:

Do yoga.

Let your body discover what it’s like to move

without your brain holding it’s hand.

Tell your brain to take a hike.

Let your body believe fully in it’s own powers.

Let every person you’ve stored inside your muscles out every so often,

to breathe.

Lastly:

Do things that make you feel good.

Let your joy be contagious and spread through

Your home, your job, your children.

Let it spread through the world

Like a virus so that when you forget it,

Every so often, you’ll catch it from someone else.

~~Jen Pastiloff, after a particularly focused Annie Carpenter class on Sep 20, 2011

Balinese healing waters Nov 2012 during my retreat

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19 Comments

  • Reply Flying Yogini September 20, 2011 at 7:12 pm

    running to my books to read lines before elf gathering at the bus stop. wonderful yet again! thanks for the smile

  • Reply barbarapotter September 20, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    I love this so much. It is so true and I needed to hear it. Love you Jen.

  • Reply YoginiBunny September 20, 2011 at 7:44 pm

    Thank you for the much-needed reminders. Thank you! : )

  • Reply Monica September 20, 2011 at 8:40 pm

    you are on a roll, girl. keep ’em coming. 🙂 xox

  • Reply Juliet September 20, 2011 at 8:42 pm

    Lovely, Thank you. 🙂

  • Reply Beth September 20, 2011 at 10:32 pm

    Sigh. What an amazing poem. I love the metaphor of joy as a virus that you can catch again and again. Wonderful imagery that made me smile. Thank you xo

  • Reply Jen September 20, 2011 at 10:59 pm

    I love the photo comment. So true and yet something I never, ever do!

  • Reply lhotsem42 October 2, 2011 at 6:28 am

    lhotsem42 reblogged this on lhotsehawk.

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  • Reply Erin King October 26, 2011 at 4:40 pm

    This is wonderful – – thank you!!

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