teachers.
It’s all about the process!
The Battle of Life
Even though most of us never step out onto the battlefield with sword in hand to face an opponent whose objective is to physically destroy us, we still face many battles and conflicts everyday. Having the attitude of a compassionate warrior is an extremely useful tool on our journey through life. We must also recognize that our most difficult opponent is one we deal with everyday...ourselves.
What are some of the battles we face as martial artists and human beings? Sometimes it’s the simple yet difficult battle of getting out of bed when the alarm goes off. It is certainly easier to just hit the snooze button. Maybe it’s the battle of motivating ourselves to have a positive attitude for our work, or towards the people we come in contact with each day. Maybe, it’s the battle of being better focused in our martial arts training, or digging a little deeper physically when your body and mind is telling you to stop. If we don’t give that little extra push, how will we know what we can truly become?
It’s Really Up to You.
We all have related battles to face in life. We all have challenges that we face everyday— deadlines, accomplishment of goals, stress, and environmental factors. Budo teaches us when we have battles/challenges. We must focus our energies on the solution, not the problem.
It’s what you do with what is laid before you that really matters! Is the cup either half-full or half empty? It’s all about how you perceive things. There is always a battle, a situation in which we are tested, in everyone’s life, no matter what your occupation, financial situation or family background.
Pain is part of life...misery is optional!
I believe that challenges come our way for a reason. Sometimes it’s hard to see the positive in situations, but there is usually a lesson to learn or a reason we are being tested. How we deal with them is up to us. We can allow these challenges/battles to steal from us our strength and our vision of who we want to be. Or we can use them to forge our spirit, making us more confident, disciplined, and happy people. As we become better people, we start to affect our communities by having a positive impact on society. As a teacher, my job is to act as a guide for people looking to embark on this journey, helping them become capable leaders and contribute to society.
Can you start a human revolution?
What kind of difference can you make?
Life as a Warrior
An individual who lives with the attitude of a warrior takes on a different view of the world. Budo is the philosophy that guides a warrior and shapes the way he or she sees these events or challenges.
Do we look at things from all perspectives?
Do we try to recognize and understand other people’s motivations for what they do? More importantly, do we realize our own motivations for our actions?
Are our own motivations pure in the sense that we strive for the benefit of ourselves, as well as for the benefit of all parties involved? Or are we motivated strictly by our own selfish desires?
Everything we do, in every personal relationship, business relationship, transaction or deal we make, there must be a mutual benefit for all. This is not a principle that most people live by in today’s society! Having a sense of honor in what we do, and how we treat people, is needed now more than ever. Developing the ability to understand other people’s motivations by observing their actions is an extremely important skill. Someone whose motivation was not that obvious has fooled us all. We end up disappointed, hurt emotionally and sometimes financially. Considering one’s motivation before taking action can sometimes save us from this disappointment.
Honor
Do you have a code of honor?
Do you have a sense of what is right and wrong?
Do you have the courage to stand up for what you believe is right, even when it is unpopular?
I believe true Budo teaches this. Sometimes we need to be a voice for what is right, even though it may jeopardize our position or others’ view of us. This can be a tough situation to be in, but if we have a code of honor, and conviction for the betterment of something, we must take a stand.
Taking this position can be scary and unpopular. But usually, if our intentions are pure, good will come of it. Sometimes, taking an unpopular stand is much better than living with the regret of doing nothing.
When we speak of honor, we have to think in terms of right and wrong.
Where’s the line?
How far can you go before you cross that line?
Does a line even exist?
Realize that sometimes in life, environmental influences exist that compels us to make compromises that we would not normally make. Compromise is important, but not at the expense of our honor. Remember that once you step over the line of right and wrong too many times, that line begins to disappear. We must do our best to keep our honor and ourselves in check.
The Constant of Change
Do you recognize the fragility of life?
Do you know what tomorrow holds?
Do you recognize that in a blink of an eye many of the things that we are blessed with can be taken away?
If you were to find out that you had only six months left on this earth, what would you do differently?
Would you be a better husband, father, teacher, or person in general?
Would you treat people in a kinder, more compassionate manner?
Would you really listen to the people who are close to you, and try to better understand what is important to them?
Would you learn or attempt something you’ve always wanted to do, but were afraid to?
Would you contribute something that would make a profound difference in the lives of other people, therefore leaving a piece of yourself behind...your legacy perhaps?
What will your legacy be?
What will people say when you’re gone?
Will it be positive?
Will people remember sacrifices and contributions you’ve made, whether they were contributions of time, money, or just of yourself?
Oh! That’s right, you will probably be here in six months. But with this philosophy and discipline, we can change our future actions and our appreciation of things in our life. Living with the philosophy of Budo in our lives gives us an appreciation for these blessings and allows us to see that nothing is permanent and things will always continue to change.
Respect
Do you understand the concept of respect, and that we must strive to respect others even if we don’t understand them? The martial way is all about respect! We must learn to respect our elders for the work they have done and the dues they have paid. Their experience in life can give us much insight and if we’re lucky enough, maybe they’ll share some of their
