The art of pivoting is an act of shifting performed in most sports and throughout our daily life. When we pivot effectively, it opens the opportunity to change direction and pursue a beneficial forward trajectory.
I grew up ice skating competitively. There is a fond memory of the elegant practice of a pivot creating the ability to lodge the toe of your blade into the ice while the other foot circles, expanding and widening the rotation. The pivot allows additional skill of balance to execute technical feats.
In another seasonal sport, basketball, we are drawn to the dynamic aspects of shooting, dribbling and passing. It is the nuanced skill of pivoting that allows the entire game to materialize before our eyes. These pivots are a necessary tool to avoid pressure and prevent turnovers.
In life, a pivot can be a strategic turning point on our path where everything shifts. It becomes an essential technique allowing us to head in a new direction deliberately. The more we perfect this wise practice, the more resilient we become.
If we take the time to look back at our past, we can see periods when we should have turned in a different direction. We may see a result or consequence from where we did not pivot or should have. These shifts allow our brains to bank crucial cognition that we can tap into every time the need to pivot emerges.
There was a recent experience when life presented an adversarial discomfort, and in a moment of a week, I was exposed to many twists and turns. A realization came over me to slow down and become consciously aware of each pivot related to my thoughts, words and actions. These were my three most powerful allies. Sometimes a crisis spurs a pivot, and other times, it requires time to change and go down a new path. When the going gets tough, pause, pivot and then progress carefully.
One can also practice positive pivoting towards health. We are all moving fast, yet time can be taken to acknowledge the moment, slow down and pivot towards radiant health. This pivoting fuels our body wisely and begins moving this gift of a body that has been afforded to us. The little pivots taken every day add up over time and impact our lives. Powerful pivoting ultimately includes our thoughts and emotions. This shifts love towards ourselves and others.
What a wonderful world it would be in this very moment if we all pivoted towards each other with open awareness, acceptance and joy.
