Sometimes the best input is silence and the best proximity is distance. There are more people than ever who want to tell us how to feel, what to believe, and how to act, but there are very few who are actually concerned with how we feel, what we believe, and what we want to do…
Author: Robert Van Valkenburgh
Co-Founder of Kogen Dojo of Severna Park and Taikyoku Mind & Body
A Change Of Heart
A lot of time is spent trying to change each other’s minds when what we really need is a change of heart. Modern technology gives us the ability to exchange ideas, opinions, and beliefs with almost anyone in the world in an instant. While we may hope that this free exchange of information would give…
Leading What Is Within
A leader’s job is to focus enthusiasm in the direction of the team’s objective. Leadership is as much about listening and observing as it is about goal-setting, providing direction, and giving encouragement and corrective feedback. As leaders, we can have an amazing team, a foolproof plan, and a highly detailed, well thought out strategy, but…
Aligning Consciences (The Group And The Individual)
Every group has a conscience, but we must ask ourselves whether that conscience aligns with our own. Some extreme examples notwithstanding, each of us has a conscience, an inner compass if you will, that, if we allow it to, guides our attitudes, outlooks, and decisions. Whenever two or more people gather together for any purpose,…
The Duration Factor (On Stress And Pain)
Simply because we get used to something does not mean it is good for us. Humans are amazingly resilient and adaptable creatures with a great capacity to work through stress and pain as long as we feel like we are making progress because of it. This survival mechanism can be extremely useful when we need…