Meditations on God

Difficult Decisions
There will be times in life when we have to make difficult decisions with less than complete information.

There simply will not be enough time or resources with which to gather more information before having to act.

Or, the information itself may be hidden, covered up, or might not even exist.

Obviously, this is less than ideal and it will not be easy.

What makes it even harder is that there will likely be no clear right or wrong answer.

All options will appear to be equally undesirable, each with consequences, both seen and unseen, that we would rather not face.

However, sometimes doing nothing is not an option.

We have to make a decision.

We have to take action.

It is in moments like these when we must rely on our instincts above all else.

Things have a better chance of working out if we follow our intuition than if we rely purely on logic and reason.

Logic and reason have already failed us if the right or wrong choice is not apparent.

We must, therefore, let go of our intellect and do what feels right, even if it is not clear that it is what is right.

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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November 25, 2020

choices, decisions, difficulty, instincts, intuition, logic, reason
Solutions From Frustration
We may be frustrated at the circumstances we find ourselves in, but anger does not lead to solutions.

Frustration is a natural response to hindered progress, growth, and forward momentum.

When we find ourselves slowed down, stopped, or even set back, it is quite easy to feel frustrated.

The more effort, planning, and preparation we put into the path we are on, the more true this is.

We must be careful to not allow our frustration to turn to anger, however.

While frustration can be the fuel we need to get us through an undesirable situation, anger is not.

In fact, anger uses us as fuel.

Anger burns us up until nothing good is left to move forward for or with.

And, anger creates all sorts of collateral damage in its wake.

It destroys hope, possibility, and relationships and gives us nothing good in return.

When frustrated, we must make a choice.

We can choose to use our frustration to come up with creative solutions to the problems we face or we can resign ourselves to anger.

The former option will take us on a new adventure with new experiences and possibilities.

The latter option will take us down the dark path of misery, loneliness, and regret.

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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November 24, 2020

anger, frustration, growth, momentum, progress, solutions
Disappointment’s Opportunity
Disappointment comes in many shapes and forms.

It comes when we least expect it or when we are least ready for it.

It can stop us in our tracks and destroy the hopes and plans we once had.

But, disappointment should never be seen as the end of the road.

It is a starting point for something new.

Disappointment is life’s way of telling us that our expectations were not aligned with reality.

It offers us a moment to pause, reflect, and adjust our course.

For this reason, disappointment should not lead to anger, sadness, or even frustration.

Instead, we should use our disappointment as a catalyst to be grateful for new opportunities and a new perspective.

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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November 23, 2020

disappointment, expectations, opportunity, perspective
On Appeasement
When we go along with something we do not agree with just to make someone else happy, or at least to make them not unhappy, we are doing a disservice to ourselves and others.

Honesty, so long as it is coupled with kindness, is always a better policy than appeasement.

Like all forms of dishonesty, appeasement hurts all parties involved.

It creates division in the relationship where there need not be any.

And, while appeasement may delay the pain of disappointment for a while, it will not keep it at bay forever.

Eventually, the truth will come out in one way or another and feelings will be hurt, or worse.

Obviously, this does not mean that we should never compromise.

Compromise is a necessary part of nearly all relationships.

What we should not do, however, is to lie about what we want or do not want simply to make things easier.

It does not make things easier.

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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November 22, 2020

appeasement, compromise, dishonesty, honesty, lies, truth
Busyness Is Blinding
Busyness is blinding.

It keeps us from seeing what is really going on with us and with our lives.

It distracts us from the things that matter most by telling us as long as we are moving forward we are making progress.

But, progress that comes at the cost of our health and our relationships cannot really be considered progress.

It is okay to admit that we are in over our heads and that we have taken on too much, that we have been moving too fast and need to slow down.

There is no shame in taking a step back to reevaluate our lives.

In fact, if we do not do this from time to time, life itself may force us to do so.

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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November 21, 2020

busyness, health, hustle, life, progress, relationships

Difficult Decisions

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Solutions From Frustration

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Disappointment’s Opportunity

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On Appeasement

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Busyness Is Blinding

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