Gravity is real, but, with the proper preparations, it’s negotiable.
Attempting some new venture is kind of like trying to fly. All of the forces around us and inside of us tell us it is impossible. They want nothing more than to pull us back down to Earth where we belong. In order to overcome these forces, we have to be persistent, perhaps even a little bit crazy. We aren’t meant to fly, after all.
When we are faced with new opportunities or challenges, we will feel drawn back to the things we are used to. Because that which is new is perceived as difficult and frightening, we are pulled, from within and without, back to our old habits, familiar places, and the people we feel most comfortable with, even if they are not good for us.
This pull back to the familiar, even when it is unhealthy for us, be that physically, emotionally, or spiritually, is only natural. We are creatures of habit who have evolved to seek out the familiar and to fear that which is new. In order to do something big, to do something creative, or to do something that will change our lives, we must defy this natural instinct and step out into the unknown.
At some point, we must test our wings. The worst thing that can happen is that we fall, but then we are only back to where we started. If we truly believe in ourselves and our vision, we will get back up, make some adjustments, and try again. Perhaps we were meant to fly, after all. There is only one way to find out.
Holistic Budo: As it is in budo, so too it is in life. As it is in life, so too it is in budo.
-Robert Van Valkenburgh is co-founder of Taikyoku Mind & Body, Severna Park’s Holistic Chamber of Commerce, and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
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