I get it and I lose it and I get it and I lose it. I’m soo starting to get that getting it is losing it and losing it is getting it … get it? I think I just lost it again … yay! . . . aw crud . . . (and dang skippy, too.)

In one moment, I pause and I note that I am noticing my actions again. I am glad. And then I feel the urge to indulge in a pleasurable pursuit "just one more time today" even though I have already done so all day to this point. I have watched 4 episodes of the DVD series I rented. And in this moment I sense that I have fed my need enough and even though "just one more" would indeed be pleasurable and fun, something speaks to me from way off and reminds me that I may take this path, but it may be diverging now from my optimal path—the path that will truly feed me and lead me to the realization of my highest potential. And so I asked myself what would happen if, in every moment, say, just for one whole day (to start with), I took only actions which I intrinsically felt were in accord with my highest potential. What would that look like? What would happen? Many times I put off reading my sufi poetry or doing a FULL ashtanga practice in order to indulge in a much "needed" reading of a superficial, but fun article online, or calling a friend for some chitchat. I grant that these things are also genuinely important at times and provide downtime for recharging, but there is a tipping point, if you will, where they become an unhealthy attachment—a diversion for the sake of avoiding our highest potential. In their most unhealthy extremes, these indulgences are also called addictions. The interesting thing is, the other things that I have put off in order to indulge are, in fact, even more pleasurable than the indulgence I am now about to over-consume. It's just that sometimes I don't enjoy the thought of doing my full Ashtanga practice as much as the idea of watching a great movie. But if I were to complete my 2 hour practice, or even a 1 hour asana exploration, I would be in heaven, as I always am, and then watching a movie would be even more pleasurable. And where would I be after watching a movie without my practice? My body would be aching from too much sitting down, and my mind and my emotions would be where-ever the director of the film had encouraged me to follow. And while this is fine in general, if I have not done my practice, then this would be an example of not acting in accord with highest potential. There is no written-in-stone way to do this. There can be no rule that says, "Watch movies only after you have completed your yoga practice." Sometimes the reverse would be the right action if you had been doing way too much yoga and were imbalanced in that direction. The key here is simply noticing the imbalance whenever it occurs and then taking the next right action that rebalances us, or aligns with highest potential. And remember, you will fail. And this failure is wonderful and you must forgive yourself and then take the next right action that aligns with your highest potential. I'm going to try it tomorrow and see what happens. No wait. I'm going to try it NOW and see what happens. In fact, do you realize that writing this was the thing that spoke to me as being the next right action in accord with realizing my highest potential? It taught me a lot and I feel much better now. Thanks for following along this far. I'll keep you apprised. Sincerely, -Zack