A little while back, my aunt mentioned to me that she had a Yin vs Yang moment one day. My aunt is an avid reader of the blog, but I was not sure what she meant by this. She explained that she was running on a treadmill, about to give up at the same time she always does, when she thought of what I wrote in a post. She sincerely said it gave her the strength to run longer than she ever had before. I smiled, as the compliment immediately inflated my head.

Then again, the other day, a friend of mine mentioned to me….

‘Dude, I had a Yin Yang kinda moment the other day.’

He explained he had to do a big project for a new class at school that required he give a speech. He is not the public speaker type and he was literally sweating bullets just thinking about it (Actually it is quite amazing the amount of perspiration the fear of pulic speaking can cause!). Then he thought of a post I recently wrote about changing your perception.  He said it calmed him caused he realized, in the scheme of things, this was all part of the process. It was a one time class, and really, what did he have to lose. He gave the speech and just got an A on it.  I would say it worked out perfect, but he said he still sweat a lot in the process. Oh well, almost

This is not to toot our own horn at Yin vs Yang. Of course it feels great to hear things like this. The goal of this site is to help people enhance their wisdom by revealing how their body, mind, and soul work together, as well for us to help expand our own wisdom by writing about it.

I wanted to thank all of the readers who have either emailed us or commented, because it is you who have helped steer us in the right direction.

It is a wonderful feeling when you hear that something you created actually helps other people.  As we have continuously grown in the past 7 months, it seems that YinVsYang has started to take on a life of its own. I definitely had an idea of what this site was about when we started, but as time has progressed it is clear what Yin vs Yang has become.

A Yin vs Yang moment is anytime you use your mind to overcome any fears, limitations, nervousness, or emotions to reach your goal.

It is anytime you are able to step back from a personally difficult moment, as if you were someone else, and capitalize on what you see from the outside looking in. It is about leaving behind all judgments, expectations, and preconceptions in order to see only what actually is.

The common thread between these two stories, and the numerous emails we have received, is that a Yin vs Yang moment is when you realize it is only you who is setting the limitations.

That is a Yin vs Yang moment, and I wanted to thank my readers, friends, and family for identifying it for me. As a writer about self development and improvement, it can be tough to cling to a single message about how you can improve. There are so many schools of thought on improving yourself, and no clear way to prove which is best. Plus, as a person constantly trying to improve myself, I understand it is a journey that never ends. Therefore, different concepts work for different people at different times. In fact, what is most clear is that there is not one single way that works for everyone.

However, everyone has experienced the kind of moments where it is solely up to you and you alone. You either give it your best, or let the fear of failure defeat you before you even try.

For example, my aunt on the treadmill was approaching the limits that she had naturally set for herself. No one had tested her to see exactly how much she could go before she had to stop. Without knowing it, she had set that limit herself. When she had that Yin vs Yang moment, she naturally destroyed that personal limitation. Plus, like anything else, it is contagious. Think of the confidence boost you get whenever you have exceeded your own expectations. It is amazing how good it feels and it makes you want to destroy even more limitations.

Opening up your mind to the limitations it can set on itself is the most important concept to get out of this site.

The first step to destroying these limitations is to become aware of them. The next time you face a personally challenging moment, think of Yin vs Yang. Take a deep breath and think of the many examples our readers have given us about how they started to overcome their own personal limitations simply by recognizing them. Hopefully this will help give you the motivation to understand that you can do just the same. Anyone can achieve anything if they just put their mind to it. Even you or me

Have you ever had a Yin vs Yang moment before?

I always learn more by teaching Jiu Jitsu than just by rolling (sparring).  This morning, as I was helping instruct a brand new student, I wound up teaching myself something about life.  The new student was having trouble maintaining his balance.  He would start out kneeling in a strong position on the ground (sort of like the person in blue above), but after he began to try and pass the guard (his opponents legs), he would get swept to his back time and time again.

I explained to him that in Jiu Jitsu, the most important aspect is staying balanced at all times.  Staying balanced is easy when nothing much is going on, but it gets harder & harder as the intensity & pressure pick up.  As soon as the New Student would try to react, he would sacrifice his balance.  The key, I explained, is to calmly face one battle at a time.  Staying calm helps you maintain your focus.  To pass the someone’s guard, you do it methodically with effectiveness, staying close and tight, achieving one small step at a time, so that it is impossible to fail.  As I explained this, it occurred to me how much Jiu Jitsu mirrors life.

Staying calm in the face of pressure is a critical key to achieving success.

In life, the key is to calmly face one battle at a time, so as not to get overwhelmed.  During intense moments, such as someone trying to choke you in Jiu Jitsu, overreacting leads to a worse position.  Calmly assessing the situation and moving methodically is the only way to better your position & achieve success.  It’s not abut speed, it’s about effectiveness.

The New Student next asked me what he could do to better maintain his balance.  I answered, “do not concern yourself with what you should do, just worry about what you should NOT do.  The only way to learn that is to get on the mat, make all sorts of mistakes, and gain the invaluable prize known as experience.  Only then will you learn how to stay balanced.”

The same goes for achieving success at something in everyday life….

Just jump in there, make all sorts of mistakes, and gain the invaluable prize known as experience on your way toward success.

If you liked this, or any other of my writings, I would be much obliged if you click DIGG IT below.  Thanks in advance.