On Setting Goals

There were piles of terracota bricks inside the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. These bricks were brought in by pilgrims and tourists who wanted to enter the Caves. One brick per person. I carried one while climbing up the steps to the Batu Caves. It was quite heavy. Around two kilos a piece. It was a steep climb and the heat of the sun pierced through every pore of my skin. However, it didn't matter. Because I was taking part in building the shrines in the Caves. Even with just one brick.

Week 1 in the Science and Practice of Yoga reminded me of this trek up the Batu Caves.

Each brick are like the goals I have in life. Each one an integral part of my being. The problem is I try to carry as much bricks as I can in my hands that I end up crumbling from all the weight.

I started my master's program in communication arts in 2008. I still havent't finished up to this day. Personal failures and depression were a huge part of this delay. However, I am moving on and picking up from where I left off. I am currently writing my thesis proposal. My goal is to finish next year.

I am also working on getting my marriage annuled. There is no divorce in my country and the system really makes it difficult for the indivdidual to get out of an unhappy marriage. Abuse or no abuse, the only grounds acceptable is pyschological incapacity. Not to mention the whole process being really expensive. I have been praying for the divorce bill to be passed into law for six years now. Anyhow, my goal is to have my marriage annuled by next year.

I hope to be a certified yoga teacher after I finish my master's degree. My goal is to fulfill that in 2019.

I have accepted that my path from Point A to Point B is never a straight one, rather it is uphill and full of detours. You see, I have been carrying all these on my shoulders for so many years now and the soul sometimes gets tired, but will definitely not give up.

So, just like the video lecture on setting goals, I will take one step at a time and allow things to unfold in their natural course. I signed up for the verified course of The Science and Practice of Yoga to motivate me to commit and finish the course. To realize that, I would have to plan my week and commit at least two hours each week for the on the mat practice, watch two to three video lectures per day, and to write about the experience in my blog once a week.

I am in a rough patch. But that won't deter me from reaching the top and stacking my brick up there to build my shrine.