Meditations on God

Courtesy In Preparation
Preparation is a form of courtesy.

We are not in this world alone.

Our actions and inactions have an affect on others.

We must choose what kind of affect we want them have.

When we are unprepared, underprepared, or ill-prepared for that which we must do from day to day, this has negative consequences not only for ourselves, but for everyone around us and beyond.

The cause of our lack of preparation does not really matter with regards to the effect it has on our lives and the lives of others.

Excuses, explanations, justifications, and even apologies do not change what happened or did not happen because of us.

Whether caused by busyness, procrastination, distraction, ignorance, or poor decision-making, the effect is the effect.

We owe it to ourselves and to everyone who is affected by our actions and actions to be prepared for what we must do, what we have committed to, and what we have given our word to do.

Preparation is a manifestation of the respect we have for ourselves and others, and lack of preparation is a demonstration of the opposite.

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 Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

All photos by Robert Van Valkenburgh unless otherwise noted.

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September 16, 2020

attention, caring, compassion, courtesy, etiquette, integrity, preparation, promises, responsibility
Honoring Our Time
One of the undeniable facts of life is that we all reach the end of ours eventually.

This truth alone should make us want to slow down, savor the experience, and make the most of every moment.

It is all guaranteed to be over someday.

There is no reason to be in a hurry.

There is no reason to rush, to be hasty, or to burden ourselves with undue stresses and pressures that do not serve to improve the quality of our time here.

Every moment, every interaction, and every relationship matters.

We do not get our time back.

We do not get each other back.

If we want to make the most of our lives, we must start by acknowledging this fact.

Acknowledgement is only the first step, however.

The only way to honor truth is through action.

Anything less is a hollow sentiment.

A truth not acted on is a truth wasted.

The truth of our time here is that it is running out.

We must act on this fact, but not recklessly, hastily, or frivolously.

Time is honored with attention, intention, and consideration.

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 Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and 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.

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September 15, 2020

attention, consideration, death, focus, intention, life, memento mori, mortality, purpose, relationships, time
A Little Bit More Each Day
Each and every day, try to do a little bit more than you did the day before.

Try to work on your goals a little bit more than you did the day before.

Take a little bit more action toward your dreams than you did previously.

Put a little bit more effort into your relationships than you have been.

Try to explore your creative ideas a little bit more than you did yesterday.

Give a little bit more care, concern, and attention to the people you love.

Take a little bit more time for the things that matter.

Give a little bit less of your time to the things that do not.

Use a little bit more energy on that which excites you, drives you forward, and feeds your soul.

Use a little bit less of your energy on that which drains you, steals your joy, and robs you of your hope.

Do a little bit more for others and a little bit less of that which is selfish.

Face a little bit of your fear.

Challenge some of your preconceptions and your prejudices.

Open your mind, your heart, and your life a little bit more to joy and pain.

It does not have to be a lot.

In fact, it should not be a lot.

Slow, incremental progress is enough.

Small, determined steps forward are sufficient.

Trudge forward a little bit more each and every day toward the light and away from 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 Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and 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.

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September 14, 2020

achievement, determination, dreams, goals, kaizen, life, progress, purpose, relationships, service
The Challenge Of Growth
When things that once challenged us no longer do, we can either choose comfort in routine or growth in new challenges.

There is nothing wrong with comfort in itself.

We all crave it in some way.

After all, growth and progress are not sustainable without some time for rest, recovery, and reflection in our lives.

The problem arises when comfort becomes our standard and we begin avoiding that which makes us uncomfortable, that which is difficult, and that which challenges us to improve.

Comfortability causes us to close our minds to new ideas, experiences, and opportunities because what we are doing seems to be working, or at least it works at keeping us comfortable.

We soon forget the excitement and satisfaction that comes from facing and overcoming resistance, frustration, and failure.

We forget what it feels like to experience the extremes of our joy and our pain, and we settle for the mundanity of that which is merely good enough.

Long periods of comfort in our lives should be seen as a warning sign that we are not pushing ourselves hard enough, that we are not reaching far enough, and that we have ceased striving for growth, improvement, and experience.

There is no reason to put our health, safety, or relationships in jeopardy simply for a new challenge, but, at the same time, we must recognize that most experiences worth having are not easily had.

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 Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and 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.

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September 13, 2020

achievement, aspirations, challenges, comfort, difficulty, failure, goals, growth, improvement, purpose, success
Win The Evening To Win The Morning To Win The Day
The tone of our day is set the night before.

We often hear that if we win the morning, we will win the day.

As a general rule, this is certainly true.

How we wake up, the time we wake up, and what we do upon awakening and in the first few hours of our day sets the tone for everything that will happen after.

If we give ourselves time to think, time to reflect, and time to work on our goals, ourselves, and our creative projects first thing in the morning, we start the day with a win.

If, on the other hand, we start our day with resistance, fighting off the need to wake up, procrastinating on the things that must be done, and delaying the inevitable, we will find ourselves constantly on our back foot, irritable and hurried, and struggling to catch up while other people’s priorities take over our time, energy, and attention.

We get to decide, every day, what kind of day we will have based on what kind of morning we give ourselves.

This decision is not easily made in the morning hours, however.

Nor should it be.

This is a decision we should and often do make many hours before, the night before in fact.

In reality, how we wake up, the time we wake up, and the energy and attitude we wake up with are largely determined by how, when, and in what way we go to sleep.

Winning the morning might win the day, but winning the evening wins the morning.

Success and failure are largely determined by preparation.

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 Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and 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.

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September 12, 2020

achievement, creativity, life, meditation, morning, morning ritual, morning routine, productivity, purpose, rest, sleep, success

Courtesy In Preparation

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Honoring Our Time

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A Little Bit More Each Day

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The Challenge Of Growth

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Win The Evening To Win The Morning To Win The Day

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