If It’s To Be, It’s Up To Me: Pillar #1 of "The 5 Pillars of Leadership of Your Life"

Most people are waiting.

Waiting for the right time.
Waiting to feel ready.
Waiting for circumstances to change before they take action.

The problem is… life doesn’t usually work that way.

If you’re waiting for perfect conditions before you start building the life you want, you might be waiting forever.

One of the most powerful leadership principles I’ve ever learned is this:

If it’s to be, it’s up to me.

This idea is the first pillar in what I call the 5 Pillars of Leadership of Your Life. These principles aren’t about leading a company or a team. They’re about learning to lead yourself - your choices, your actions, and the direction of your life.

Because whether we like it or not, each of us is the leader of our own experience.

And leadership begins with ownership.

The Moment You Stop Waiting

There was a period in my life when I felt completely stuck.

I had moved countries and was working under a visa that tied me to a single employer. I hated the job, but I convinced myself there was nothing I could do about it. I told myself I was trapped. I told myself the circumstances had to change first.

So I waited.

I waited for TEN years.

But eventually I realized something uncomfortable: 
nothing was going to change unless I changed something.

That realization is where real leadership begins.

It’s the moment you stop looking at your circumstances as the deciding factor in your life and start asking a different question:

“What can I do from here?”

The truth is that every person faces limitations, obstacles, and imperfect situations. Those things are part of being human.

But the people who create meaningful change in their lives share one common trait:
They take responsibility for what they can control.

They stop waiting to feel ready.
They stop waiting for perfect timing.
And they start moving.

Conditional Living vs. Committed Living

One of the biggest ways people give away their power is through conditionality.

You’ve probably heard versions of it before:

“I’ll start when I feel more confident.”
“I’ll try when I’m not so scared.”
“I’ll share my work when it’s perfect.”
“I’ll begin when life calms down.”

That’s conditional living.

It means your actions depend on circumstances lining up just right.
The problem is that growth rarely happens inside those conditions.

Real progress comes from commitment, not convenience.

Committed living sounds more like this:

“I’m doing this because it matters to me.”
“I’ll take the next step even if it’s uncomfortable.”
“I’m willing to be imperfect while I learn.”

This shift, from conditional to committed, is where you start to create momentum.

What This Looks Like on the Yoga Mat

If you practice yoga (especially arm balances), you’ve probably experienced this firsthand.

People often say things like:

“I’ll try practicing handstand off the wall when I’m not scared anymore.”
“I’ll share a video when my form is perfect.”
“I’ll practice more when I have time.”

But the people who actually progress are the ones who show up before everything feels ready.

They practice while they’re still learning.
They ask for feedback while they’re still figuring it out.
They lean into the uncomfortable edge of growth.

And over time, those small actions create big breakthroughs.

The same principle applies far beyond yoga.

It applies to careers. Relationships. Personal growth. Health. Creativity.

It applies to everything in your life.

Leadership Starts With You

The first pillar of leadership is simple, but not always easy.

If it’s to be, it’s up to me.

It’s the moment you stop handing your power to timing, circumstances, fear, or perfection.

It’s the moment you decide:

“I’m responsible for creating my next step.”

Not because the path is clear or you feel fearless.

But because the life you want is worth showing up for.

And when you start operating from that place, when you take ownership of your choices and your actions, everything begins to shift.

Because leadership doesn’t start out there somewhere.

It starts with you.

If you've had dreams of standing on your hands and you've been putting it off because of circumstances. This is the year you stop letting circumstances dictate your choices. Click here to join Yogi Flight School.

If you've heard the quiet call in your heart to become a yoga teacher, but you've held back because 'who am I to teach yoga?' You didn't hear that call by accident. It's up to you to create the next step. Click here to check out YFS's 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training starting this summer.