Going along with that which is easy, may cause us to miss out on that which is right.
Acquiescence is an act of negative ego and unhealthy self-denial. When we acquiesce, we give up and give in, often to some decision or some path that we do not agree with. Acquiescence means going with the flow, even if the flow is pushing us in a direction that is in opposition to our true interests or our heart’s true desires.
There is no truth in acquiescence. Going along with things simply because it seems easier than resisting is a path of regret, remorse, and resentment. Denying ourselves in this way is anti-humility.
When we go along with others reluctantly, so as to not cause disruption or disturbance, we are not present in the process. When we acquiesce to a path that is not our own, we are not truly there. Our mind and our heart is elsewhere and this division of self ultimately makes us ineffective and unhelpful.
Resisting is not the solution any more than is false enthusiasm. Sometimes the right thing to do is to do nothing, to pause, be still, and wait for answers.
If opportunities pass us by while we wait for our truth to reveal itself, we must understand that we are not missing out. On the contrary, it is when we go along with that with which we do not believe that will cause us to miss our opportunity to participate in that which is right for us when it manifests.
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 and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
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