What’s it like to be YOU?

You can ask yourself, “What’s it like to be me?” You know, the only way we’ll ever know what it’s like to be you is if you work your best at being you as often as you can, and keep reminding yourself: That’s where home is. — Bill Murray

The above quote is Bill Murray’s response to the question “How does it feel to be you?”, which he fielded during a press conference at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival after the screening of his film St. Vincent. The resulting speech he gave has been dubbed the “Bill Murray Dharma Talk”, and I really enjoyed listening to it. You can listen to it yourself by clicking here, and it also has the speech typed out if you don’t want to watch the video.

I happened to come across this “dharma talk” right at the end of March, and I thought it was such perfect timing, as my focus in my yoga classes for March was dharma. I’d felt like it was challenging for me throughout the month to really get across the message that I wanted to my students…and then I happened across this wonderful little speech by Bill Murray and I felt it really helped tie things up rather nicely.

Dharma can mean many different things, depending on the religion or philosophy you subscribe to. Check out Wikipedia for an example of what I mean. But to me, the way dharma is described in the Bhagavad Gita is the one that has always resonated with me the most. In chapter 18.47, it says, “It’s better to do your own dharma imperfectly than another’s perfectly.” Dharma here means “life purpose”. If you’re truly doing what you’re meant to be doing, then everything else in life falls into place naturally. If you’re doing things that are helping you work toward meeting your dharma, then it’s all good, no matter the outcome!

I definitely feel like I am working towards my own dharma…FINALLY! I’ve tried lots of different things in an attempt to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing and what makes me tick. These last couple of years have definitely brought me a long way. And I think it’s because I finally stopped to listen to my own heart, rather than trying to copy what others are doing. Also, I figured out that a person’s dharma changes along their life’s journey. We have stages in our lives, after all, so it’s only fitting that our dharma may need to change in order to meet us where we are at that particular stage in our lives.

It’s been hard for me in many ways. I’m typically a Type A “have to have a plan” kind of person. But that way of thinking was totally stressing me out and making me miserable. Now, I still have a plan, but it’s just not so rigid. If something doesn’t feel right, I try and figure out why and make the necessary changes. This means I have to be a bit more of a “go with the flow” kind of person, and that was an uncomfortable feeling for me at first. But it’s getting easier every day, because I can see a difference in myself. I feel happier. I feel more sure of  myself. I feel more at peace. And I definitely feel like I am more “at home” with myself now, more confident.

So. What’s it like to be YOU? Do you know what your life purpose is? If you’re not sure, I urge you to take the steps to figure it out. You won’t be sorry, because once you figure it out, there will be no stopping you. And once you’re able to truly be YOU, you’ll finally be home.

Namaste,

Melanie