It is easier to relax if we have taken care of our responsibilities first.
This is not always the easy path to take.
Nor is it likely to be the most fun.
But, it is the path that is necessary for long-term success.
The problem we face is that we cannot see into the future.
We do not know how long we will have to toil before we can rest.
And, this, itself, can be exhausting.
There is no promise that our responsibilities will ever end.
What is certain, however, is that if we do not tend to our responsibilities now, not only will they not go away, but our troubles are sure to pile up on top of them.
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 Kogen Dojo Self Defense Academy where he teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
All photos by Robert Van Valkenburgh unless otherwise noted.*
*Robert Van Valkenburgh’s black and white photography can be seen at My Darkness To Light
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