Much like flowers cannot grow in competition with weeds that rob them of water, nourishment, and sunlight, so to do noise, distraction, and other people’s selfish or fleeting priorities smother our creative natures so that we cannot grow and bloom into the truest forms of ourselves. Our creative natures are like seedlings that hold within them an entire universe of potential waiting to grow out of us, but they cannot do so in the shadows. They need space and light. We need space and light. We need room to discover who we are, to be who we are, and to nourish that delicate, fragile essence of our being so that it may bring joy and purpose to our lives and value to the lives of those around us.
-Robert Van Valkenburgh teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Kogen Dojo