Meditations on God

A Dream in Writing is a Plan
If we put our dreams on paper, they are no longer dreams, they are plans.

Street Art photographed by Robert Van Valkenburgh (artist unknown)

There is a lot of power in putting pen to paper. The physical act of placing an idea outside of ourselves, in the open, where we can see it, where anyone can see it, transforms that idea and it transforms us along with it. Writing down an idea, especially an idea that scares us or challenges us, makes it more real than if we simply kept it to ourselves.

When our ideas are written down, we cannot deny them. What were once fleeting or nagging thoughts are now words on a page, looking back at us, reflecting back at us, forcing us to admit that this is who we are and this is what we think. As our hopes and our fears find their way onto the page, they simultaneously gain power and lose it because, once they are written down, they are no longer ours alone.

By writing down that which we hope for or that which we fear, we gain clarity. That which was once merely floating around like a raindrop in a sea of other thoughts is now captured on the page, visible and actionable. We do not have to do anything with our ideas once they are written down, but putting them on paper gives us that choice.

If we choose to do nothing with an idea we have put paper, we can push it aside and move along, for we have now freed ourselves up for new ideas to flow in. On the other hand, if, after seeing our thoughts clearly and objectively on the page, we feel inspired to follow through with those ideas, to dig deeper into them, and to see where they take us, we now have the beginning of a plan. If we keep writing, fleshing our ideas out, we may find that what started as a trivial little note can actually change our lives and transform 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, Severna Park’s Holistic Chamber of Commerce, and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

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September 13, 2019

aspirations, dreams, goals, ideas, planning, plans, writer, writing
Preparing for Spontaneity
Spontaneity is a powerful creative tool if it is preceded by careful planning and preparation.

Street Art photographed by Robert Van Valkenburgh (artist unknown)

Spontaneity is synonymous with freedom. It seems counterintuitive then that the ability to be spontaneous in a way that serves us, instead of hindering us, is made possible by discipline and forethought in the form of careful planning and preparation. Without these, spontaneity is nothing more than whimsical randomness, when it has the potential to be a powerful tool for creative experiences and output.

Being free-spirited and spontaneous, allowing our muse to guide us, is a truly beautiful experience that can result in some of our best creative work. There is a time, place, and a way to be spontaneous, however, if we want it to work for us, instead of against us. We must set ourselves up for success and this means laying the groundwork so that we give ourselves the space, setting, and permission to be spontaneous.

If we do the necessary preparatory work, if we take the time to develop our skills and abilities in a disciplined way, and if we set time aside wherein we are undistracted and unhindered by outside influences or responsibilities, we will find that it is like opening the floodgates for spontaneous creative output. Disciplined prep-work focuses our creativity and gives us freedom to be spontaneous in a positive, useful direction.

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, Severna Park’s Holistic Chamber of Commerce, and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

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September 12, 2019

artistry, boundaries, creativity, discipline, freedom, planning, preparation, restrictions, spontaneity, spontaneous
The Joy of Consistency
Consistency alone is not of real value if the things about which we are consistent are not useful.

Street Art photographed by Robert Van Valkenburgh (artist unknown)

It is good to be consistent, as long as the things about which we are consistent are making our lives or the lives of others better. No one would argue that it is good to be consistently rude, selfish, disorganized, or tardy. In fact, with these attributes, less consistency would probably be much more desirable and even appreciated by others.

The secret then, is to pinpoint the areas in our lives that give us and those around us the most positive benefit, and to be consistent in those things. We must discover which actions, if taken consistently, have the greatest positive impact on our health, our happiness, and both our spiritual-emotional and our financial well-being.

Being consistent with our sleep schedules, our diets, and our exercise routines, for example, are all ways we can create a positive downstream effect on all other facets of our lives. When we take care of ourselves, we are more able to take care of others. Beyond our basic needs, we should seek out that which gives us deep and consistent joy, and be consistent with that.

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, Severna Park’s Holistic Chamber of Commerce, and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

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September 11, 2019

consistency, constancy, happiness, health, joy, value, wealth
Change is Inevitable: Create Your Own
“I enjoyed doing this at a specific time in my life, with a specific group of people, and under a particular set of circumstances. Things have changed.” -Anonymous

Street Art photographed by Robert Van Valkenburgh (artist unknown)

One of the challenges of working with or for someone else is that they may change. Their direction or focus may change. If we are talking about a company, leadership or even ownership might change. The economy or individual financial circumstances could shift suddenly, forcing people to to look at stabilizing, growing, or downsizing. Unless we are the ones steering the ship, it is highly unlikely that we will have much say in when or how any of these variables affect us.

On the other hand, we may be the ones who change. We may lose interest in the what we are doing or who we are doing it with, or our interests may shift to something new. The values or priorities we once had might evolve as we get older or as our life’s circumstances become more complex. Our financial, emotional, or physical needs may shift over time. We may have new opportunities that, if passed up now, may never come again.

There are an infinite number of variables, many of which are uncontrollable and unpredictable, but, one thing is certain, either outside or inside of us, something is going to change. How we deal with these changes will determine whether or not we are successful on the other side of them.

We can choose to resist the change, fighting back against it with all of our will and might. This may work for a while, but change is a funny thing. There is too much of it and it is far too unrelenting to resist forever. On the other hand, we can choose to go with the flow or roll with the punches, as it were. This may work for a while, but eventually the change will become overwhelming, overtaking us and changing us into something or someone we are not.

There is a third option, however, and that is to create our own change in ourselves and in our lives, so that we are ahead of the unknown and above the wave when it crashes.

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, Severna Park’s Holistic Chamber of Commerce, and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

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September 10, 2019

art, artist, change, constancy, creation, creative, creativity, make art
Creative Constancy
We cannot stop the world from moving, but we can create a respite for ourselves where we can find ourselves and be ourselves.

Street Art photographed by Robert Van Valkenburgh (artist unknown)

Change is inevitable, but we all need a constant. We need to feel grounded or rooted in something. We need to know that there is meaningful, purposeful work that belongs to us, that evolves with us, and that stays with us, regardless of how the world changes or how we change. This is where our creative work comes in.

If we dedicate some piece of time every single day, no matter what and no matter how how brief, to nourishing and nurturing our creativity, we will always have something that is ours. We will always have something that is constant and through which we can find harmony between our internal life and the external world.

Whether it is art, music, writing, poetry, cooking, or even martial arts, the medium doesn’t matter. What matters is consistency. What matters is that we allow that which is inside of us to become real.

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, Severna Park’s Holistic Chamber of Commerce, and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

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September 9, 2019

change, consistency, constancy, creative, creativity, express yourself, respite, self expression

A Dream in Writing is a Plan

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Preparing for Spontaneity

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The Joy of Consistency

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Change is Inevitable: Create Your Own

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Creative Constancy

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