If you want to see more beauty in the world, start by walking, with your head up, and your eyes open.
Our outlook on life is greatly affected by the input we receive on a daily basis. If we feed our eyes and our minds conflict, negativity, and divisiveness, we will begin to perceive the world as a place made up predominantly of this type of ugliness and even evil. Even the most pure, innocent, and uplifting experiences will be tainted by our cynical worldview.
Evil, violence, and hatred are, of course, very real. They are not, however, all that is. There is more to life than what we see, read, and hear from those who feed off of our engagement with the baser aspects of humanity.
If we are growing tired and weary of all of the negativity in our lives, we must start first by looking elsewhere. We must actively seek out that which is beautiful, those people, places, and things that uplift us, that inspire us to smile, and that make us hopeful about our lives, our relationships, and our future. A good place to start is by lifting our heads, taking a walk, and merely looking around.
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, as well as a founding member of the Severna Park and Baltimore Holistic Chamber of Commerce.
Icy windshield photo taken by Robert Van Valkenburgh.
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