Flowing From “Never” To Gratitude

At a Santa Barbara retreat with Antonia, Pam Towne announced that she would meet with those interested in becoming T’ai Chi Chih teachers. “Who thinks they might be coming to that,” she queried. “Just so I have an idea; it’s not a commitment.” I quickly shoved my hand under my leg to keep it from fluttering upwards. Pam smiled, “If you’re not sure, that’s fine. You can just come and see what it’s about.”

At the meeting, Pam asked each of us why we were there. I explained that I’d retired early from teaching because it had completely drained me. I promised myself that I would never, ever let that happen again. It was quiet and then someone said, “Never say never.” In the silence I heard, “You teach what you need to learn.” Gratitude for my years of teaching filled me, and Never shifted to Yes. I’ve discovered through TCC that simple shifts make a big difference. And some shifts that seemed would never happen, can happen easily – when I relax into the flow and am grateful.