"A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu
The Journey
This timeless Lao Tzu quote echoes like a whisper through the ages, beckoning you to follow some calling that nudges from within. You may or may not know exactly what that is... yet. On the other hand you may know exactly what that calling is. Either way one thing is clear; if you are going to follow the calling you are going to need to start somewhere.
The martial arts of the East are typically identified as a Way 道, which hints at a larger and deeper principle then mere combative skills. This Way is the great Tao of the Taoists and so requires great self inquiry and realization, as it is a journey of self mastery.
While the journey for each person will be unique in its own way, if you can learn to use these two things effectively there isn't anything you couldn't master... including your self!
The martial arts of the East are typically identified as a Way 道, which hints at a larger and deeper principle then mere combative skills. This Way is the great Tao of the Taoists and so requires great self inquiry and realization, as it is a journey of self mastery.
While the journey for each person will be unique in its own way, if you can learn to use these two things effectively there isn't anything you couldn't master... including your self!
Secret 1: Discipline
As a martial arts instructor I have seen some great transformations because of this one thing alone. Discipline works like a forge that can transform the ordinary to the extraordinary, like the legendary swords of the Samurai that are forged from basic elements. Discipline is what keeps us doing what needs to be done, even when it is uncomfortable. It is what gets us to do what others won't and as a result we are able to do what others can't. |
There is a Japanese proverb that goes "Three years on a rock" (石の上にも三年 - ishi no ue nimo san nen). It is meant to emphasize the effects of perseverance and is fostered by discipline. This perseverance and discipline takes effort. Of course there will be days that you have to dig deep to motivate yourself, but this is precisely what discipline is all about. In time, discipline will be the source of your success, and this leads us to the second secret...
Secret 2: Time
Another lesson to be learned by the Japanese proverb "Three years on a rock", is that time is a factor in all things. This part can be difficult for some because there is nothing of effort you can do. All of your efforts fall under discipline, but all your discipline will not manifest what you want immediately. That will take time. The journey of 1,000 miles is an analogy for your path... your Way. It begins with a single step, but one step at a time and you will eventually find yourself well on the way towards mastery. This will take a bit of acceptance on your part. Know that you will do all you can, and if you do this it will only be a matter of time. For the sages of the past and the masters of the martial arts it has always been a |
matter of these two things. Discipline and time. This is something that can be a bit paradoxical in practice because discipline takes effort, while time is effortless. But then this is how the Way works. Yin and Yang work in harmony in the Great Way.
Put your energy into doing the work necessary towards progress. Forget perfection because it often becomes the enemy of progress. As long as you are better today than you were yesterday, mastery is simply a matter of time.
Put your energy into doing the work necessary towards progress. Forget perfection because it often becomes the enemy of progress. As long as you are better today than you were yesterday, mastery is simply a matter of time.
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