You are who your actions say you are.
No matter what you think of yourself, what you do tells the truth.
Choose your actions wisely.
Align your work with your beliefs.
Prove who you are with what you do.
Be who you want to be by doing what that type of person does.
You become what you do.
HEALTH AND SERVICE
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
Meditations of a Gentle Warrior
To read my longer writing, subscribe at robertvanvalkenburgh.com
Imagine what your ideal life looks like in your heart of hearts and then start taking action in that direction.
Every action, no matter how small, adds up over time.
Each step in the direction of your goals tells the universe you are serious, that you are unwilling to idly accept what comes your way as your fate, and that you are willing to work for what you want.
Coordinate your efforts with your desires and the universe will begin to listen.
You will face many obstacles, challenges, and setbacks along the way, but these are just life’s way of asking you if you are serious.
You must prove yourself and your commitment every day until you have no doubts left about what you want.
Once your heart, body, and mind are aligned, the path will become clear.
Our actions point to our values.
We may think or say that we value certain things, but what we do often proves otherwise.
Thoughts and words are deceptive and, through them, whether intentionally or unintentionally, we are capable of convincing ourselves and others of all manner of falsehood.
Our actions, on the other hand, demonstrate the truth of what and who we value most.
We prove what is important to us by how we choose to spend our time, energy, and attention.
We may claim that we value something, but if we constantly ignore it, put it off, or place our priorities elsewhere, our actions prove otherwise.
This also means that we are able to change our values by changing how we spend our time, energy, and attention.
If we want to live according to better values, we must take better actions.
It is easier to change our minds by changing our actions than it is to change our actions simply by changing our minds.
‘Changing Values’ by Robert Van Valkenburgh
HOLISTIC BUDO: As in Life, so too in Budo. As in Budo, so too in Life.
We can empathize with others without being moved to act.
Not all problems require a solution.
In fact, not all problems have a solution.
Some problems are simply problems.
Even if a solution is available, however, our intervention is not always necessary, advisable, or even desirable.
There are times when merely feeling for someone is enough, when compassion without action is the best we can do.
Empathy must have boundaries.
Without boundaries, empathy makes us susceptible to the whims of emotion.
Of course we should have feelings and they should inform our decisions and actions to some degree, but feelings can lie, deceive, and manipulate.
Healthy boundaries tell us where the dividing line between feeling and action must be drawn.
‘Empathetic Boundaries’ by Robert Van Valkenburgh
HOLISTIC BUDO: As in Life, so too in Budo. As in Budo, so too in Life.
Meditations on God 