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Sunday, December 1, 2024

Speeding.

Yesterday as I was on my way to have a coaching session with the incomparable Frank Gjata I got pulled over.

“FOLLOWING OUR BLISS IS THE DESTINATION.”

– Frank Gjata

The cop didn’t like that when I told him that was my destination and thus explained why I had been speeding.

Where you going? Bliss! I’m in a hurry to get there, Officer. Please!

Ok, I didn’t really say that. I did beg and cry. A lot. It didn’t work. I got the speeding ticket.

Frank offers what he calls “Life Changing Moments” Sessions.

Imagine the irony that I am on my way to my very own life changing moment sesh and I get pulled over by a cop on a bike. It felt ironic to me.

Why?

Because I got the metaphor before Frank and I even began to dive into it.

Frank is the creator of Conscious Ink and Manifestation Tattoos and I am surprised he hasn’t come up with one yet that says “You are going past the speed limit.”

(Frank read: please create that tattoo, my friend?)

I am always speeding. It’s true.

Just look at my Facebook. Or Twitter. I am always getting asked “How do you do all you do? How do you keep up?”

A secret? I don’t!

I miss appointments and I forget. I double book. I get speeding tickets. Doh!

Yesterday’s ticket came at a perfect time. A life changing moment ( thanks Frank). Last week, one of my dearest friends, Steve Bridges passed away, as you may have read in earlier posts, and it was like a bucket of ice cold water poured over the body of my life.

I got very cold and very awake and very alive.

I also realized I no longer wanted to speed through.

Well, apparently I didn’t realize it fully because yesterday’s ticket was a gentle reminder that I had not committed to slowing the f*ck down.

I have committed to slowing down but I have not yet committed to giving up cursing. (Sorry folks with sensitive ears.)

I made some huge shifts yesterday which I am still processing but I will say this: I needed to get that ticket. I need to frame it and use it as a reminder that I can take my time. That I can breathe. That I can be present.

There it is.

Be present.

Frank asked me a question no one has ever asked me before.

In case you didn’t know I have profound hearing loss.

He asked me what part of my “not being able to hear” keeps me “from not being here”?

I wanted to leave when he asked me this. I had a realization that for as much as I talk about vulnerability, I didn’t like to be vulnerable. Damn you, Frank!

Yet I stayed. I won’t share all that we talked about but I will share that I think you need to get your arse over to see him. (Please do not speed.)

I will share that yes, yes it was a life changing moment and like his tattoo says that I wear on my forearm: There are no accidents.

Speeding ticket an accident? Nah.

A gentle reminder that I deserve to be fully here and that I am doing a disservice to others otherwise? Pretty much.

Is the ticket annoying and a waste of money? Maybe.

But maybe not.

Maybe, if I really follow-through on my break-through I will realize that although it cost me $400 or whatever a speeding ticket goes for these days, it will have gained me my life.

I may not be able to hear perfectly but I can be here perfectly.

Thank you Frank.

***So here is my question for YOU: Where, in your own life, can you stop speeding?***

Jennifer Pastiloff will be teaching at the Tadasana International Yoga & Music Festival over Earth Day weekend on the beach in Santa Monica, CA, April 20– 22. Click here to check out the festival website and purchase tickets. Enter the code Pastiloff for a $50 discount! (Please note that discount codes expire April 1.)

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  1. I had the pleasure of meeting Frank a couple of weeks ago in the parking lot of Yoga Works. I was in desperate need of my tattoo fix. Let me tell you, this guy is filled with good vibes.

    This post is a reminder to fully take time to take the wisdom in. Sometimes, life experiences shows us a lesson and we fail to pay attention. So the universe presents the lesson in a new, refreshing way. In your case, the lesson showed up in a $400 bill.

    So this post, to me, is a reminder to listen. To pay close attention to the whispers of life, guiding you on this beautiful path we call life. We live in a learning planet, lets be the noble students.

    With love, always.

  2. I did an experiment a few months ago where I stopped all multitasking in an effort to become more present and aware. Yikes! I discovered that so many of my notions of multitasking as a way to be faster and more efficient actually slowed me down and made me feel more frantic. They also serve as a way to distract me from the things that make me uncomfortable. Huh. I’d like to say all of those profound lessons keep me from multitasking anymore, but I’d be lying. I think it will take a few more “speeding tickets” to have it sink in, but I consider this post one of them. Thanks!

  3. This post really resonated with me and reminded me of the importance of slowing down and being present. As the author discusses, it’s all too easy to go through life on “autopilot” without fully paying attention. One way authorities in Staten Island are trying to promote safer driving habits is through the use of speed cameras, which are designed to deter speeding and encourage compliance with speed limits (https://www.statenisland-nyc.com/speed-cameras-on-staten-island-map/). It was interesting to read how strategic placement of these cameras at high-risk locations has helped reduce accidents while also changing driver behavior. Sometimes we all need a gentle nudge or “ticket” to remind us to appreciate the present moment rather than rushing through life on “autopilot”. Thanks for sharing this thoughtful perspective on the value of slowing down.

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