Meditations on God

Embrace Optimism
“The most important thing is to teach your kids to be optimists—to train them to be optimists—because without that, you’re lost. With the ability to see the silver lining, to see the benefits of even a very dire situation, you can at least look for and see solutions. And if you conversely have a pessimistic lens, you could look at the same situation and see only problems.”
—Mike Maples to Tim Ferriss

Optimism is a childlike state, an outlook on life that is rooted in a certain amount of blissful or perhaps even willful naiveté. It is the perspective that, one way or another, things will always work out, that, no matter how far down we go, there is always an upside. Optimism is the ability to find hope in the hopeless, light in the darkness, and opportunity in emptiness.

Life is not always great, it does not always go smoothly, and it certainly does not always go as we planned it. As children, all we see is hope and possibility, but, as we get older and have more experiences, experiences that hurt us, frighten us, and cause us worry, pain, anger, and grief, we are given many reasons to be pessimistic and cynical. To remain optimistic through all of this, in spite of all of this, becomes a choice.

We will all have troubles, trials, and even tragedies in our lives, but we owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our loved ones, and we owe it to the future we will create though our mindset and our actions based on that mindset to remain hopeful and to create hopefulness in others. As adults, optimism is the conscious choice to see the world like a child, to look for the bright side, to see the world as a place of color and joy, and to add light, smiles, and laughter to every situation and relationship we find ourselves in. It is up to us, each and every day, to embrace the childlike state that is optimism and create the world we envision and hope for.

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.

‘Dress and Scar’ artwork by Ana

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March 20, 2020

childlike, children, comassion, empathy, future, hope, hopeful, hopefulness, Inspiration, kindness, love, optimism
Community and Connection
One question that has no season, that is appropriate in any situation, and that it is never too early or late to ask is: How can I be helpful?

We may perceive ourselves as independent, but the reality is that, whether times are good, bad, or indifferent, we are really all in this together. At some point in our lives, whether we like it or not, we will need help from others and others will need help from us.

Those of us who recognize, accept, and embrace this truth sooner than later have a better chance to create, contribute to, and benefit from what will actually keep us going in times of difficulty, and that is community.

Community is more than simply a group of people gathering together in close proximity. True community is a group of people who, no matter how close or far apart, share a common bond, common interests, and a common goal of helping one another.

When we are part of a community, we owe it to ourselves and to each other within that community to stay active, to stay in touch, and to remain available for when we are needed or when we are in need.

In times of perceived or real separation from our community, whether that means our family, our friends, or our compatriots, when we feel alone, frightened, and lost, we must ask ourselves what we can do to make the situation better, not for ourselves, but for others who are likely feeling the same way as us.

We must ask ourselves how we can be helpful to those who are also estranged and isolated, regardless of how brief the time or short the distance of our separation. We must step up and reach out, ensuring our community that we are still together even when apart.

We must connect with each other by whatever means are available so that, when circumstances reunite us, we are not strangers, but are more firmly bonded than ever before.

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 19, 2020

bonding, community, compatriots, connection, estrangement, family, friends, helpfulness, isolation, tribe
Do Something Now For Your Future Self
Waste no opportunity to improve.

When we feel like we are stuck, like there is nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one by our side to help us through, we should take a moment to reflect on all of the things we have always wanted to do for ourselves, but never had the time or space to do. There is no use in feeling sorry for ourselves, getting frustrated with circumstances outside of our control, and going stir-crazy. Instead, this is an opportunity to take stock and take action, to take a look at ourselves and our surroundings and ask what we can do to make our lives better.

This is the moment we have been waiting for. This is the opportunity we have been hoping for. It may not look or feel like we dreamt it would, but this is it. This is our chance to make the change we have always promised ourselves we would, to read that book, to write that story, to paint that painting, to learn that instrument, to finish that project, to go for that run, to lift those weights, to start meditating, yoga, or just simply to be present with and for our families.

When all of the distractions are removed, we are left with ourselves, our fears, our hopes, and our regrets. It would be a tragedy if we squandered this moment, if we let this opportunity for growth and change pass us by without seizing on it and making the most of it. We owe it to ourselves to do something purposeful with this time we are being given, to do something that matters, and to do something that our future selves will thank us for and be proud of.

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 18, 2020

action, courage, creativity, fear, growth, hope, opportunity, presence, purpose, regret, resolutions, time
Express Your Aliveness Through Movement
Stay active, with purpose.

Movement is the ultimate and most dramatic expression of our aliveness. It is how we express our ideas, our potential, and our freedom. We move to work, to build, to get stronger and faster, to grow, harvest, and cook food, to fight, and to create life.

It is during the times when we are most likely to be idle, whether because of an injury, the weather, or other circumstances outside of our control, that staying active is most important. Idleness is the opposite of aliveness. When we have the greatest number of reasons to do nothing, to be idle, we owe it to ourselves to act, to move, and to express our life and our freedom through our bodies in whatever way we are capable.

Find a way to stay active, to move, to be alive. Set small, achievable goals and look for ways to do this with purpose and intention. Make a decision to be a little bit stronger, faster, more flexible, more agile, more robust, and more healthy every day and then act on that decision because it is the little things that add up to big in both idleness and in purposeful action.

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 17, 2020

active lifestyle, activity, aliveness, exercise, focus, idleness, inent, intention, life, movement, practice, purpose
Shared Sacrifice (For The Tribe)
“The easiest and most basic definition of community, of tribe, would be the group of people that you would both help feed and help defend.” —Sebastian Junger from ‘Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging’

In recent years, a lot of us have thrown around words like tribe and community rather loosely. The truth is that we all want, we all need, to feel as if we are a useful and necessary part of something bigger than ourselves. Being part of a tribe or a community is not always easy, however, because it comes with expectations, obligations, and sacrifices.

Community, by definition, is never a one-sided relationship. The relationship of the tribe and the community is one of sharing, of shared interest, shared investment, and shared experience. This means sharing in both the good times, the times of health, wealth, and celebration, and also the bad times, the times of loss, of difficulty, and mourning.

Some tribes, some communities, we are born into, but others we enter by choice. Regardless of the means by which we came to be a part of our community, the day will come when we will be asked to make a sacrifice for the sake of the group’s survival or progress. It is through these sacrifices that we truly earn our place and become members of the tribe.

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 16, 2020

belonging, community, giving, homecoming, investment, sacrifice, sharing, tribe

Embrace Optimism

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Community and Connection

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Do Something Now For Your Future Self

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Express Your Aliveness Through Movement

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Shared Sacrifice (For The Tribe)

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