Meditations on God

Joy And Difficulty For A Sustainable Practice
“I think the most important thing is to have fun. Everyone wants to progress, to get better, but, if you have fun, you will never quit… you will always do it. Eventually, everyone gets better. If you have fun, you will keep showing up.“
— Caio Terra, 12x Jiu-Jitsu World Champion

In whatever we do, we must find a way to do it that is sustainable over a long period of time. We all know the person, or have been the person, who tries something new, whether it is a hobby, a type of exercise, a diet, or whatever, and becomes obsessed with it, can not stop talking about it, and then quits. Passion, it turns out, is not sustainable, but enjoyment is.

Most often, manic, fanatical obsession with anything burns out as quickly and as intensely as it arrives. This is why New Year’s resolutions, for most people, do not last past January. The goal of any new practice should be to do it just slightly above our level of ability, to the point where it is difficult, but not so far beyond that point that it feels impossible, frustrating, or overwhelming to think about doing it forever.

Enjoyment alone is not sufficient and we should not settle for doing that which is easy simply because it is more fun. Anything worth doing is going to be difficult and it is in the difficulty that progress, growth, and change are to be found, but anything worth doing should also bring us joy, perhaps as the direct result of the difficulty. In order for us to sustain a worthwhile practice over a long period of time, we must find that sweet spot where difficulty and enjoyment overlap and then show up every day.

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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April 4, 2020

bjj, brazilian jiu-jitsu, caio terra, difficulty, enjoyment, fun, jiu-jitsu, joy, obsession, passion, practice, sustainability
Following In Our Footsteps
Our footsteps should be such that, were others to follow them, we would be proud of where they led.

A lot of what we do from day to day ends up simply being a matter of routine or habit, as if we are on auto-pilot with external forces driving our decisions from one moment to the next. Necessity and obligation often dictate that we take directions in our lives that, if it were up to us alone, we may not actually choose. This does not make us any less responsible for our lives or our choices, however.

Ultimately, every choice we make, whether it was our idea or not, whether it was the obvious, practical, popular, or even necessary choice, is ours to live with. It does not end there, though. Every decision we make or do not make, every action we take or do not take, and every thought, word, or sentiment we express or do not express has a long-lasting and far-reaching unforeseen effect.

Every step we take leaves an impression on the world. These impressions are not easily swept away or forgotten either by time or by those who are affected by them. We should, therefore, choose consciously, wisely, and intentionally how, where, and with whom we walk through this life because others are always affected, watching, and even following.

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 (artist unknown, unless otherwise noted).

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April 3, 2020

accountability, choices, consciousness, following, footsteps, impressions, intention, leadership, leading, responsibilities, wisdom
Offering Is An Act of Courage
“The opposite of scarcity is not abundance; the opposite of scarcity is simply enough. Empathy is not finite, and compassion is not a pizza with eight slices. When you practice empathy and compassion with someone, there is not less of these qualities to go around. There’s more. Love is the last thing we need to ration in this world.”
—Brené Brown

When our hearts are full our interests change, our desires change, and our motives change. We become more proactive and less reactive. Our fears about not being enough, not having enough, and not being able to keep what we have begin to quiet.

Our thought processes begin to transform, shifting away from selfish plotting, scheming, and negotiating ways for us to acquire more for ourselves, and toward giving, sharing, and contributing. Instead of imagining ways to accumulate, horde, and protect material goods and wealth, our minds open to the possibility that there is truly enough for everyone, if only we work together toward that goal. It is up to us to go first, however, to lead the charge, and to offer of ourselves so that others may see that kindness and generosity are the outward manifestations of gratitude.

If we are grateful in our hearts, for the lives, the love, and the opportunities we have received in the good times, the truest expression of that gratitude is to give of ourselves during the hard times in whatever way we can, when it is not easy, when it is not convenient, and when there may be no reciprocity. This may simply mean showing up, being present, offering a kind word, a shoulder to lean on, or an ear to listen, even if virtually. Sometimes all we have to offer is time, but the act of offering is the first step toward transcending the fear of scarcity.

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 (artist unknown, unless otherwise noted).

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April 2, 2020

abundance, bravery, compassion, courage, empathy, enough, fear, giving, gratitude, leadership, scarcity, selfishness, sharing, transcendence
Slowing Down To A Healthier Normal
With everything going on, with the drastic schedule change, and the abrupt halt put on my day-to-day ‘hustle’ (hipster entrepreneur speak for not being able to prioritize and focus on what is essential), I have had to reduce my coffee intake.

Kogen Dojo Coffee Cup by The Joyful Clay in Severna Park, MD

A few days at home made me realize that I was ‘running hot’ everyday with the amount of coffee I was drinking, but I was doing too many things to notice.

I am now drinking about 1/3 as much coffee and, when I need a midday pick-me-up, I drink some green tea to get me over the hump.

Slowing down has revealed a lot of unnecessary stresses I have put upon myself. Now, some of these have been replaced by new stresses and worries, but I am more aware of them and more able to consciously address them as they arise.

Have any of you also noticed this in your lives as you adjust and adapt to a new normal? What have you done to shift gears and wind down in a healthy way?

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 (artist unknown, unless otherwise noted).

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April 1, 2020

adapting, adjusting, coffee, essentialism, hustle, priorities, stress, tea, tension
Perfection Is A Process
There is no perfect path, but that does not mean we should not seek perfection in our footsteps.

There are many times in life wherein the right thing to do, whether morally, personally, or professionally, is not totally obvious. Perhaps we do not have all of the necessary information to truly make an informed decision or maybe there are too many options in front of us, or all of the options appear to be equally good or equally bad. Life is often more complex and the correct choice is often more ambiguous than we would like.

For this reason, perfection is an elusive ideal. It is impossible to always know and do what is right or what is best because there is simply no way of deducing what that is or how to do it with the limited amount of information we have at any given time. Add to this the fact that, even with sufficient knowledge, our execution is likely to be flawed or to run into unforeseen obstacles and we have the conundrum on our hands, which is to say that we have to choose between doing nothing at all or taking an imperfect action.

There are certainly circumstances wherein the best course of action is to do nothing, to be patient, and to wait for more to be revealed, but often this is a luxury we do not have because external forces such as time and pressure are working against us and demand that we must act. In these instances, waiting for the perfect answer or the perfect ability to execute may very well mean that we miss our opportunity for success. It is far better, when hesitation will likely lead to failure, to take the imperfect action, but to do so with integrity, an open mind, and the willingness to adapt to new, better information as it is revealed because perfection is never granted, but is found in our adjustments along the way.

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 (artist unknown, unless otherwise noted).

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March 31, 2020

action, choices, decisions, hesitation, imperfection, obstacles, pefection, the journey, the path

Joy And Difficulty For A Sustainable Practice

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Following In Our Footsteps

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Offering Is An Act of Courage

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Slowing Down To A Healthier Normal

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Perfection Is A Process

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