I just read a great interview with Christine Duffy, the President of Carnival Cruise Line. She offers 11 tips to success, all of which I love and could make into separate blog posts. Today #5 really struck me: "Take a step back to get ahead." In this section, Christine talked about taking a lower-paying job that, at the time, seemed like a step back, but it was there that she gained the opportunity to be President of Carnival. It reminded me of a quote one of my yoga instructors used a few weeks ago. Karen said "An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. When life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means it's going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming." Admittedly there are days recently when I've felt I am definitely being pulled backwards. As a type-A who loves the comfort of knowing her path, I'm convinced the universe has to pull us back not only to launch us forward but to get our attention! The Christian faith says "Let go and let God." Santosha, which is one of the five Niyamas of yoga, instructs us to cultivate an attitude of contentment. Yoga also teaches us to be still and allow our inner true self to speak. No matter what you look to for guidance, we all need to be reminded that we can't control everything that happens around us, and what might be a step back is really in preparation for something bigger.