Pressure is a funny thing.
It has the power to crush, constrict, and destroy.
But pressure also creates diamonds; it creates beauty.
Sometimes pressure exists in our lives to make us stronger, purer, and brighter versions of ourselves.
Other times, we experience pressure that forces us to stop, change course, and move in a new direction.
Either way, pressure changes us.
The more we look for beauty in the world, the more beauty we are likely to see.
The same holds true for ugliness.
Both exist whether we look for them or not.
So we must choose where to focus.
Looking for one does not make the other go away.
However, by adding our focus to one or the other, we bring a little bit more of it into the world.
‘Into Focus’ by Robert Van Valkenburgh
HOLISTIC BUDO: As in Life, so too in Budo. As in Budo, so too in Life.
Our choices are not always as clear as right or wrong; we must sometimes choose between beauty and ugliness.
We often think of morality in terms of black and white, good and bad, right and wrong. This type of either/or thinking makes us feel better about the path we have chosen because it places us in a position of moral superiority to those who have made a different choice from us. We tell ourselves that we are on the righteous path and that others who believe or behave differently are on the path of evil and corruption.
We claim special knowledge with these kinds of distinctions. They are predicated on the belief that we have unique insight into the truth of things, giving us the ability to see beyond the lies and deceptions that others fall prey to so easily. Ours is authentic wisdom and only we are educated and inspired enough to know, to see, to hear, and to speak the truth, while all who do not believe as we do are necessarily either foolish, immoral, or both.
It is true that some beliefs and behaviors are undeniably more honorable, righteous, and just than their reprehensible, unethical, and despicable opposites. Quite often, however, this distinction has more to do with benevolent or malicious intent than anything else and most people, ourselves included, in spite of flawed beliefs and imperfect actions, do not actually want to do harm to others. We are far better off, instead of being the constant judge and jury of what is right and wrong, a position which is not only unhelpful, but also quite exhausting, looking at our own beliefs and behaviors, and asking ourselves in each moment whether, through them, we are adding more beauty or more ugliness to the world.
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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The artist sees the light where there may otherwise be none and, when there is no light to see, they create it.
One of the reasons that the arts are so important for our children is because, in difficult times, the people we turn to and count on to lead us through are not those who who follow instructions the best, but those who come up with creative solutions, who think outside the box, and who can imagine and manifest a future that was previously thought impossible. When faced with uncommon problems, we need uncommon solutions. We need creativity, imagination, and vision.
The arts may not be the answer to all of the world’s problems, but they are a compliment to all other skills. The arts teach us that we have the ability to bring our imaginations to life, to envision something new and beautiful, and to draw it, paint it, compose it, play it, write it, or even cook it. And, the arts teach us how to work within constraints, to use a limited palette, to stay within a specific style, to utilize a certain number of ingredients, and to use those constraints to make something beautiful, moving, and perhaps even life changing.
Studying the arts teaches us not only to look at beauty, but to look for beauty, even in the ugliest of places, circumstances, or experiences. Beyond that, the arts teach us, that when there is no beauty to be found, we have the ability to create it for ourselves and, ultimately, to share it with others. Within every scientific, mathematical, medicinal, or technical innovation or advancement is a little bit, or perhaps a lot, of art and creativity.
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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If you want to see more beauty in the world, start by walking, with your head up, and your eyes open.
Our outlook on life is greatly affected by the input we receive on a daily basis. If we feed our eyes and our minds conflict, negativity, and divisiveness, we will begin to perceive the world as a place made up predominantly of this type of ugliness and even evil. Even the most pure, innocent, and uplifting experiences will be tainted by our cynical worldview.
Evil, violence, and hatred are, of course, very real. They are not, however, all that is. There is more to life than what we see, read, and hear from those who feed off of our engagement with the baser aspects of humanity.
If we are growing tired and weary of all of the negativity in our lives, we must start first by looking elsewhere. We must actively seek out that which is beautiful, those people, places, and things that uplift us, that inspire us to smile, and that make us hopeful about our lives, our relationships, and our future. A good place to start is by lifting our heads, taking a walk, and merely looking around.
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, as well as a founding member of the Severna Park and Baltimore Holistic Chamber of Commerce.
Icy windshield photo taken by Robert Van Valkenburgh.
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Meditations on God 