Meditations on God

Experiencing Wealth
“I’ve always seen a vehicle as nothing more than a way to get from point A to point B.”
—My Grandfather

Many of us never stop to really question why we want the things we think that we want. We do not ask why we are chasing after a nicer car, a bigger house, or a higher position. We simply pursue these things as if they are some sort of existential imperative for no reason other than we feel as if we ought to.

We rarely stop to ask ourselves why, if having more is so important, does it always seem to leave us feeling dissatisfied, unfulfilled, and wanting more still. When is enough enough? When is a car just a car, a house just a house, and a job just a job?

If, for us, material possessions and financial-social status are ends in themselves, if they are what give our lives meaning and purpose, so be it. However, for most of us, they are just a means to an end. The problem is that many of us have never really considered or defined what that end is. We have not thought about where we are trying to get and at what point we will stop chasing more.

If we pause for a moment, take a deep breath, and really get honest with ourselves, we may realize that the things that truly bring us joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction are far fewer and far less expensive than we tend to think. Perhaps, these things are not things at all, but experiences. If we can shape our lives around the experiences that bring us the deepest sense of contentment, happiness, and meaning or purpose, we may find that we are already, actually unbelievably wealthy.

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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June 13, 2020

career, contentment, finances, fulfillment, happiness, material possessions, material wealth, meaning, purpose, riches, satisfaction, wealth
Creating A Sustainable Definition Of Success
If our success is contingent upon climbing someone else’s ladder, what happens to us if the ladder breaks, gets stolen, or sold whilst we are mid-climb?

When we really think about it, relying on other people’s definitions of success is not sustainable. It is a moving target. If we rely on others to define success for us or if we chase someone else’s success model, the path we are on and the goal we are aiming for can change on a whim and we can be left alone and adrift, having spent a countless amount of time and effort working toward something that no longer exists as a possibility.

Success is and should be a very personal experience. It is something we must define for ourselves and work toward on our own, whether within our chosen occupation or in our personal lives outside of working hours. By creating our own definition of success, not contingent upon a specific career path, business model, or organizational structure, we afford ourselves the luxury of being able to work toward our own personal success regardless of what job we have, relationship we are in, or what the economy or culture around us does or does not do.

Our goal should be to create a definition of success for ourselves that cuts through occupational, cultural, and even familial expectations, to define success in a way that we can live with, regardless of educational, career, or social status. We must discover that which we love to do, love to experience, and that which we cannot live without, and we must reach for that as our measure of success, no matter what else necessity demands of us along the way. The only thing that makes life worthwhile, the only thing that makes it sustainable, is to have meaning and purpose that is greater than our finances, our careers, and even, sometimes, our relationships, something that does not change even when our external circumstances do.

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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June 12, 2020

career, culture, family, finances, Inspiration, meaning, passion, purpose, society, stoicism, success, sustainability, sustainable, value
We Become What We Emanate And Absorb
Fear is contagious, but so is hope.

Humans are emotionally porous creatures. How we experience the world, how we feel about what we experience, and how we express those feelings all have an affect on the people around us. Likewise, how others experience the world, how they feel about that experience, and how they express those feelings all have an affect on us.

Our emotions are not ours alone. They do not exist in isolation, contained securely within our hearts, minds, and bodies. We are not the only ones who experience them. Good or bad, they emanate out of us and are absorbed by others. Likewise, for better or worse, the emotions of the people around us become part of who we are and the way we experience our lives and the world.

It behooves us, then, to be careful with regards to the types of emotions we expose ourselves and others to on a regular basis. Negativity and positivity are both contagious, but because negativity demands nothing from us and positivity demands action, negativity seeps in and takes hold of us more easily than positivity does. For this reason, it is imperative that we do our best to both emit and absorb as much positivity as possible because how we feel and how we express that actually shapes the world around us.

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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June 11, 2020

boundaries, community, courage, emotions, fear, happiness, hope, joy, negativity, outlook, positivity, relationships
Hope Is Strength (Anger Is Laziness)
Reasons to be fearful and angry will find us whether we look for them or not, but we must actively seek out reasons to have hope and be joyful.

Out of necessity, for survival’s sake, we are genetically hardwired to be hypersensitive to perceived existential threats. Our fight or flight response runs deep and is easily triggered by negative stimuli whether we want it to be or not. If we are paying attention, the world at large will always give us reasons to be scared or upset about something.

Nowadays, we do not even need to leave our homes in order to see something that frightens or angers us. In fact, the mere suggestion of a threat to our health, finances, way of life, beliefs, ideology, or personal security is enough to trigger an emotional-physical stress response over which we have very little control. Done enough times in a day, week, month, or year, and we are constantly on edge, ready to attack, defend, or hide, even if the threat we face is nothing more than an idea, a possibility, or even a carefully worded, intentionally misleading headline.

To be afraid or upset when threatened is totally natural and requires no real thought or effort on our part. What is unnatural, what requires thought, effort, and dedication, and what must be practiced diligently and unrelentingly if it is to have a long-lasting affect on our minds, bodies, and culture is a mindset of hope, joy, and the possibility of goodness. To live in a perpetual state of fear and anger is to be mentally and emotionally lazy, but to live in a state of positivity and optimism requires mental-emotional strength and fortitude.

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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June 10, 2020

anger, buddhism, change, community, courage, faith, fear, fight, flight, fortitude, hope, love, optimism, passion, stoicism
Compassion For The Selfish
Before we judge a person for their selfish beliefs and behavior, we should consider the bigger picture of their support system or lack thereof.

Some people are only out for themselves, looking at every situation and interaction from the perspective of personal benefit or personal loss, and never from what is best or even good for the group they interact with. These people will fight for, demand, or even take what they want from their relationships, with little regard for how their decisions affect others or even themselves in the longterm. As a way of justifying their selfishness, they will be the first to tell us that everyone else thinks and acts this way too, and that those who do not are either naive or lying.

It is easy to assume that a selfish person’s outlook and behavior is intentionally egotistical, malicious, and destructive, but it may not actually be their fault. It is likely, that, somewhere along the way, these people had a traumatic experience or series of experiences that convinced them that no one was going to help them, support them, or look out for them, and that the only help they would receive help in life would be if they helped themselves. Over time and with enough justifying evidence, this seemingly benign ideology that one must help oneself became twisted into believing that one must only help oneself and damn the rest.

Instead of condemning others for their selfish ideas and actions, we are all better served by stepping back and considering where they are coming from, what led them to this place, and what keeps them there. Perhaps they truly feel as if they have no support from family, friends, or colleagues, and maybe they are correct. When a person is blinded and bound by the belief that they are alone in a world of scarcity, that no one will help them and they must, therefore, help themselves and only themselves in spite of others, sometimes the only help we can offer them is compassion, empathy, and consistent evidentiary behavior to the contrary of their beliefs.

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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June 9, 2020

altruism, community, compassion, empathy, family, friends, generosity, purpose, selfishness, support, support system, tribe, understanding

Experiencing Wealth

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Creating A Sustainable Definition Of Success

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We Become What We Emanate And Absorb

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Hope Is Strength (Anger Is Laziness)

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Compassion For The Selfish

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