Since the beginning of January I’ve  committed one day a week to making a difference in the world by not driving my car for a day and not spending any money on that day. Yesterday was my weekly date with austerity and the pedestrian life-style.

Except… on Monday evenings I go to a dance workshop. Two hours of free-flowing movement through CoreConnexion. I can’t think of a better way to begin the week than to enter the dance and connect into my body and dance myself into aliveness and freedom, joy and balance.

But, the studio where it’s held is too far to walk. It’s too dark to ride my bike and bus service just isn’t part of that equation.

As my Aunts in Paris would say, “What to do? What to do?”

And then I remember one of the lessons I’ve learned through this process of living A Year of Making a Difference. Making a difference begins within me. When I am balanced, whole, centered, the difference I make in the world ripples out from a centre of harmony. When I am taking care of me, I am better able to take care of others.

I decided to go to dance. Other than driving there, I didn’t have to spend money as I pre-paid for the sessions at the beginning of the year.

And in the process, I came home excited, feeling joyful and grateful for having immersed myself in ‘life’, my whole being transformed through dancing it out and moving into that space where I am one with the world around me.

And that was the biggest lesson from the day. It’s important to be flexible. To allow suppleness into my thinking, and my doing. To give myself room to flow around obstacles, rather than making them hard brakes on the road of life that stop me dead in my tracks.

I know. I know. I didn’t do the whole day without driving, but I did learn another valuable lesson. Look at my calendar before I make decisions with my time. Don’t set the day to not drive on a day when I have something that is important for me to do!

Making a difference does begin within me. For my difference to come from a place of wholeness I need to pay attention to my needs, wants, well-being — and my calendar!

And, I’ll move my making a difference through not driving my car to Friday this week!

All is well. I’m flexible! And supple when I flow into Life, dancing my way to Joy. Life is a Dance and I am grateful for the music.

Namaste