Our fears grow stronger when ignored or denied.
They do not resolve themselves.
They require our attention and our effort.
They must be faced head on.
If we are to overcome our fears, we must take action.
We must move toward them.
We must challenge them.
We must challenge ourselves.
Even this does not guarantee that our fears will go away, however.
Our fears are ours.
They belong to us.
They are part of who we are, part of our history, and part of the story we tell ourselves about the world around us and our place within it.
They did not come to us, nor will they leave us, overnight.
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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