The Rollercoaster of Excellence
Photo by Lathika Vithanage
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Gautama Buddha
When I read this quote to my partner he replied: 'Aren't habits bad according to Alexander Technique?'. I know this to be a misconception because as my AT teacher often pointed out, without habits I would need to relearn everything every day!
I think rather what the Buddha is referring to in this quote is our tendency to believe that excellence lies in the end goal, and is encouraging us to consider our whole self and the way in which we go about achieving our goals.
While preparing for my AT graduation I reflected a lot upon my prior education experiences and realised how much I was driven by external goals where I could receive praise. Arriving at these goals would leave me with a nice feeling for the next few hours, but that feeling would inevitably wear off and within days I would be left feeling small and not good enough again.
Reflecting on this quote now I realize it's because the way in which I prepared for these goals was to cram, which includes muscle tension and narrow focus, and to feel I wouldn't be good enough if I didn't reach these goals. This is what I was repeatedly doing with my mind and body, and so I was a tense, small version of myself, who occasionally experienced high moments.
In these last 5 years in the AT classroom I notice a dramatic shift in my self esteem. Interestingly, as I look after the way in which I go about daily activities, I start to make different decisions about what my longer term goals actually are. By showing up repeatedly as a whole person who is kinder to myself and has a strong sense of what I have to offer, the highs and lows I experience in life are far less pronounced. I am motivated from within and it is incredible to experience where this 'excellent' journey takes me now.
Journal prompts: What were your experiences with education before discovering AT? Do you have repeated thoughts that are not allowing you to be the biggest version of yourself? Do you notice any differences to how you feel about yourself during or after working with AT?
