The 2 Things No One Can Ever Steal From Mefeatured

A wise person once told me that they will never let another person steal these 2 valuable things from them: their time and their mood. I nodded as the comment simmered within my soul.

I have been living by this principle for a while and the way they articulated it was a welcomed reminder of something I know to be true, something I hold near and dear to my heart.

When I did my yoga teacher training a few years ago, I did more than just learn a few physical poses. I learned emotional and mental tools to help guide me to becoming a better human. One of those better human tools are the “8 Limbs of Yoga,” and within those limbs live the “Yamas,” or 5 social ethics.

There is one Yama in particular that resonated deeply with me. Asteya – The practice of non-stealing. This doesn’t only apply to not stealing material things. It is abandoning the intent or desire to steal anything from anyone by words, thoughts, or deceit – like stealing a talent, a relationship, a moment, an achievement, time, energy, or resources.

Let that sink in.

Stealing is more than shoplifting stuff at a store. It can be stealing someone’s time, energy, or moment to shine.

How many times do you think you have stolen something from someone without maybe even noticing it?

How many times have you shared something with someone immediately after they shared their own excitement instead of just listening and letting them really feel their excitement?

How many times have you proved to someone that your time is more important than theirs by not showing up when they need you? How many times have you dumped your bad day onto an innocent bystander?

Just because I learned about this in yoga training, doesn’t mean my answers to the above questions are “never have I ever.” I am a human. I have stolen moments by not listening fully. I have been late to things that matter to people I care about. I have dumped my life story onto people without asking for permission first.

I have had my heart broken many times by allowing others to steal a lot from me. I have allowed people to pillage my soul, my being, my mind, and yes, my body. I could write a whole Taylor Swift album about the pain I have felt when I allowed others to steal precious things, moments, feelings, and memories from me.

And it is because of all those traumas that I refuse to let anyone steal my time or my mood ever again. My time and my mood (or energy) are my most valued possessions. While I know that there are a lot of things I cannot control in this life, I am confident that I can protect my time and my energy from others.

If someone tries to steal those 2 things from me, I simply have no room for them. If someone actively shows me that they honor my time and my energy, I will make sacred space for them and reciprocate.

I refuse to be an energy or time vampire in this life. You are special, you are enough, and your time and your energy are sacred.

Are you actively practicing Asteya (non-stealing)? Do you walk into a room, assess the energy and try to match that energy instead of letting your heavy baggage take over the room? Do you listen to understand or pretend to listen so you can talk next? Do you show people that their time and energy are special to you with words of gratitude, affirmations, and asking permission before mind dumping?

Let that sink in.

Love Deeply and Forever,