Meditations on God

Affect Beyond Reach
We never know where the effects of our influence will end.

Every word, deed, and interaction ripples outward beyond our reach and beyond our control.

This happens whether we are conscious of it or not.

It happens whether we want it to or not.

For better or worse, once it leaves us, our influence belongs to those affected by it.

We cannot take it back.

It is imperative, therefore, that what we leave others with is something we are proud of, something we can hold our head high about, and something we are happy to have attached to our legacy forever.

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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October 31, 2020

affect, cause, effects, influence, integrity, legacy, relationships
Practice Becoming
We are what we practice.

Whether we are talking about physical, mental, emotional, or even creative habits, we are changed most by that which we most often do.

Over time, repetition and routine become character.

What we practice most is what we fall back on when we are under pressure, stress, or fatigue.

This is why it is so important to build habits around that which we want to become.

We have to practice achieving our goals until the behaviors, skills, and attitudes required for those goals become our natural state.

Through practice, we become that which we are striving toward.

We should, therefore, practice being who we want to be instead of settling for who we are in the habit of being.

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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October 30, 2020

achievement, becoming, goals, habit, practice, routine, success
Managing Our Attention
If we want to accomplish anything worthwhile, we have to start by managing our attention.

It will not manage itself.

Left to its own devices, our attention will drift, wander, and try to pull us away from that which matters most.

It will do whatever it can to avoid that which is difficult for the sake of that which is comfortable.

If we want to make progress, we will have to battle against procrastination, distractions, and excuses.

We have to get to work.

This will require us to create boundaries for ourselves.

It will require that we make demands on ourselves.

It will require us to decide what matters and what does not, and to eliminate the latter until we accomplish the former.

This will not be easy.

It will come at a cost.

We will have to let go of a lot in order to focus on that which is essential.

This may upset some of the people in our lives.

Our absence where we were once present will cause ripples.

While that is unfortunate, if we are serious about doing work that matters, it is necessary.

Our attention is limited and is, therefore, precious.

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.

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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October 29, 2020

achievement, attention, distraction, excuses, focus, goals, procrastination, purpose, success, vision
The Two Sides Of Vulnerability
In order for us to experience the best that life has to offer, we will also be vulnerable to the worst.

Vulnerability is a two-edged sword.

On one side, vulnerability makes it possible for us to feel and experience everything, to let it in, and to allow it to affect us, shape us, and change us.

On the other side, some of these feelings and experiences will not be pleasant.

There is simply no way around this.

We cannot have all of the good without some of the bad.

We cannot have all love, joy, and celebration without also being open to pain, heartache, and sadness.

Vulnerability allows to to connect our innermost selves with the world around us, with the people, the emotions, and the experiences.

Inevitably, some of these connections will hurt.

Disconnection is not the solution, however.

Shutting down, closing ourselves off, and hiding our vulnerable hearts will neither mend them nor protect them.

The only antidote to pain, heartache, and sadness is more love, more joy, and more celebration.

The former will find us, but the latter must be sought out.

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.

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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October 28, 2020

celebration, connection, grief, joy, life, loss, love, pain, sadness, sorrow, vulnerability
Mistakes After Mistakes
It is important to not be so vexed by another person’s behavior that we find ourselves mimicking it in response.

We are all susceptible to having our feelings hurt, especially when we feel slighted, embarrassed, or taken advantage of.

This is only natural.

We are emotional creatures.

But, it is what we do with these hurt feelings that defines us and our character.

Whether our provocateur slighted us intentionally or not is unimportant.

We must remain in control of our thoughts, words, and deeds.

We cannot allow ourselves to be swayed by the already questionable behavior of others, especially not to the point where we begin to speak and act in the same way as our offenders.

We must remember that we all make mistakes.

We all do and say things we are not proud of.

We must not allow the mistakes of others to become our mistakes as well.

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.

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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October 27, 2020

behavior, character, deeds, faults, flaws, integrity, life, mistakes, words

Affect Beyond Reach

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Practice Becoming

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Managing Our Attention

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The Two Sides Of Vulnerability

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Mistakes After Mistakes

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