This week I was reminded that sometimes, under certain circumstances, you just need to stay in it.

For the past eight months, I’ve been teaching yoga each week on a voluntary basis to a wonderful group of children that I adore and want the best for and this week I found myself wanting to quit and give up.

It’s not that the children are bad, so don’t misunderstand me when I say that sometimes it can be a bit chaotic when you try to teach yoga to 30 kids in a gym that would possibly rather be playing basketball instead.  The kids are just being kids and trying to have a good time.

I started to doubt that it was doing anything for them and tried to convince myself that they would rather be playing basketball anyway.

I was considering talking to someone at the organization that afternoon to tell them that I wasn’t going to be able to come anymore.  I had even convinced myself that since I had picked up another class that evening at a different location that I shouldn’t try and do both (although, I knew I had plenty of time to get to both classes in one evening).

Then, someone came up and told me exactly what I needed to hear…  They said how amazing they thought it was that I was giving these kids an opportunity that they would never have otherwise to get to do something that they may never be exposed to if I wasn’t coming to teach them.  They told me how even though I may not see it that their faces light up when they see me come into the gym and that he could tell a difference of what yoga is doing for them.

Therefore, this week I’ve been looking at the fact that sometimes it’s great to just stay in it. The same goes for yoga.  There are so many times where I want to come out of a pose because I think it’s hard or I try and convince myself I’m not strong enough to keep holding it, but if I find the strength to tell myself to stay in it then I can and the rewards can be so incredible in what it does for my mind, body and soul.

I’m not saying that all circumstances are worth staying in (there are so many that people actually need to choose to leave!), but there are so many that are.  I’ve been noticing when things get tough in my life how often I want to just run away vs. staying in it.  Running away may be the easier thing right in the moment, but may cost us the most in the long run.

If I can reach one child in that class and have it make a difference in their life, then it’s worth staying in it.  What areas in your life do you possibly find challenging that you may be wanting to run away from and would you be willing to consider staying in them to see the reward that could come in the long run?

Would you be willing to be honest with yourself and see if it’s really something that is worth running away from or if it is something that the benefit could be so much greater if you just stayed in it?

What are the possibilities of what could happen if you stayed?  What is the cost if you stay vs. the cost of if you were to leave?