Bethaney Pilat is my ideal subject for an article on taking risks. I knew Bethaney and her husband Adam as they were planning to open the now fantastically-successful Inspire Yoga Studio in Highland Village, TX.
At the time, I remember thinking, "That's crazy! How will they ever make it happen? What a huge and complex undertaking for just these two sweet people!"
I spoke with Bethaney this week about how she got the courage and wherewith-all to take such a big risk. Here's what she said, with a few notes from me.
"About a year after having my son, I found myself longing for a clear course, a new identity that -- due to postpartum depression -- I felt was completely lost."
"I needed inspiration to be a better mom, a better wife, a better me, and frankly to just feel good in my own skin again. The yoga practice became my sanctuary; it healed my self-inflicted and self-proclaimed inadequacies and helped me learn to listen from within."
"This resurgence of faith, love, and peace opened my eyes to so much possibility and potential. It was like my inner self began to cheer louder and louder that yoga can not only transform my life, but it's also something that MUST continue to grow in this community of women who are very much like me -- mothers, many with a lost sense of self, and yearning for community and camaraderie."
"Right then I knew I had to change my situation so that I could help myself and also to ignite change in the local yoga community."
(1. She acknowledged that she was ready and open for significant change.)
"In that moment I just felt it; the opportunity was NOW. Everywhere I looked -- things people said, little events and coincidences -- everything was telling me, do this now or forget about it. If I don't take this chance, someone else will!"
(2. She listened to and trusted her intuition and experience, and then took action.)
"Several people warned us about the challenges of starting a small business, but if we hadn't done it, I would have always felt regret. If your mind and heart are set, you're not going to let others' opinions distract you from your dream."
"Instead of giving up in fear, this outside advice helped me foresee future roadblocks and potential challenges. The warnings actually strengthened my resolve, and allowed me to be proactive or preemptive in my approach to taking the risk -- as if I had already seen the syllabus to a really tough college course, and then I got to studying -- HARD."
(3. She did not let others peoples' ideas and/or well-meaning advice overshadow her desire or wisdom.)
I asked Bethaney, "What were you afraid of? Anything?"
"I was afraid of failing. Failure would have been putting my all into it and then nobody shows up. So I made specific plans of what I wanted, and as I followed through on the plans I got really excited. And the more excited I got, the buzz spread to the teachers and the community. People got curious."
(4. She conquered fears by facing them, and then addressed each one as a problem to be avoided or solved -- instead of ignoring them or quitting.)
I think Bethaney's final thoughts on risk-taking stand alone. Here they are.
"When people think through risk, they usually weigh it against potential reward, but to me risk is really about the experience -- not how it turned out, but about making the decision to go on that ride, and to stay on whether it takes you up or down. To commit to it for your spirit.
"If you're looking at taking a risk, examine your fears, empower yourself with your knowledge and experience and then DO IT FOR YOURSELF. If you don't, then the opposite is regret -- never knowing what it was your spirit wanted you to do."
"If I'd never followed through with creating Inspire, who knows what would've happened? I may have reverted back to depression and lethargy or I may have taken up skydiving and found exhilaration in new ways."
"The key is that I DID act on my dream, despite the distractions and the numerous challenges. My spirit feels fulfilled every day because I acted on/listened to that inner voice. Each of our inner spirits has a plan and a path for us. It is up to us to quiet the outer voices long enough so that we can hear it beckoning us to be or do what we are meant to do."
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If you are in the area, I encourage you spend an hour or two at Bethaney's studio. It's a beautiful, fun place where everyone can find a class for their fitness level and all are welcome. You even may be inspired to take a few risks of your own.
What risks have you been waiting to take? I'll be speaking on "Taking Risks That Pay Off" at Inspire Yoga this Thursday at 12:5pm and 7:15pm (see sidebar).
Hope to see you there!
