Meditations on God

Desires And Obligations
There will be times when our desires will be at odds with our obligations.

We will have to choose between what we want for ourselves and what we owe others.

Whether it is our time, attention, or effort, we will have to decide where to give and where to take.

Our resources are limited.

A sacrifice will have to be made.

We are going to disappoint someone.

It will either be ourselves or those who depend on us.

No matter how noble and righteous we imagine ourselves to be, this will not be an easy decision to make.

Nor will it always be an obvious choice.

In fact, we will have to make this choice many times over throughout our lives.

The question we have to ask ourselves is which path will lead us to regret and which will lead us to fulfillment.

We may not know the answer until it is too late.

Nevertheless, we must choose.

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

Follow Robert Van Valkenburgh and Holistic Budo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn.

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December 21, 2020

choice, choices, decisions, desires, fulfillment, obligations, regret
On Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is fragile.

It is easily discouraged, stifled, or stolen.

Enthusiasm is also powerful.

It can inspire, empower, and transform lives.

For both of these reasons, enthusiasm must be acknowledged, protected, and encouraged.

But, enthusiasm can be quite rare.

It is often difficult to manifest and to maintain.

When we feel it in others or see it in ourselves, we should cherish it, nourish it, and give it room to grow and evolve.

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

Follow Robert Van Valkenburgh and Holistic Budo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn.

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December 20, 2020

empowerment, encourgement, enthusiasm, fragility
Shifting Perspective
We all perceive the world through our own distorted lens of experience, prejudice, desire, and fear.

At times, this lens makes it very difficult to see the world from the perspectives of others.

It reshapes reality so that we can understand it, process it, and accept it, but it leaves us somewhat blind to that which resides outside of our purview.

That which we cannot comprehend remains incomprehensible so long as we maintain our previously held perspective.

The good news is that, with enough open-mindedness, willingness, and effort, our perspective can be expanded and reshaped so that we are able to see the world, people, and our circumstances as they are instead of as our preconceptions make us believe they are.

With this shift in perspective, we gain the ability to be compassionate and understanding where we once were not.

Through this, our lives, and our hearts, become bigger.

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

Follow Robert Van Valkenburgh and Holistic Budo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn.

If you found this post helpful or meaningful in some way, please feel free to Share, Comment, and Subscribe below.
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December 19, 2020
To Be Heard
No one wants to wait to be heard.

We may be willing to wait, but that does not mean it is our preference.

We all want to be able to say what we need to say while it is fresh and pertinent.

We want to be heard.

We want to get our point across.

And, we want to do it when it matters, at least to us.

Life does not always give us what we want, though.

The timing is not always right.

People do not always listen.

Even when everything aligns perfectly, we do not always have the right words to make ourselves clear.

This is a necessary part of the struggle.

We must decide which parts of what we want or need to say are essential, which parts are just merely important, and which parts, if said or never said at all, really will not make that much of a difference anyway.

We are not the only ones who want to be heard, after all.

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

Follow Robert Van Valkenburgh and Holistic Budo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn.

If you found this post helpful or meaningful in some way, please feel free to Share, Comment, and Subscribe below.
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December 18, 2020

communication, relationships
Purposefully Waiting
Sometimes the best course of action is to do nothing.

Waiting is an often overlooked and underutilized strategy.

Haste leads to all manner of mistakes that could have easily been avoided or prevented by waiting.

While we wait, we should do so actively, not lazily, so that we are ready to act when the time is right.

We must use this time to plan, prepare, and position ourselves so that, once we do act, we are able to maximize the opportunity at hand.

We must be careful that waiting does not turn into procrastination, however.

We are not waiting for the sake of waiting or for the sake of putting off that which must be done.

We are waiting with purpose.

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

Follow Robert Van Valkenburgh and Holistic Budo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn.

If you found this post helpful or meaningful in some way, please feel free to Share, Comment, and Subscribe below.
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December 17, 2020

patience, procrastination, purpose, waiting

Desires And Obligations

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On Enthusiasm

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Shifting Perspective

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To Be Heard

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Purposefully Waiting

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