March 24th, 2020
I was doing some good reading the other day and the message the author was sharing was “Anger is your Enemy”. This message appears to be one that many on Facebook need to learn! I am very observant with a few years-experience under my belt…and I do see many people, especially on what little time I spend on Facebook (almost none actually) that are letting their negative emotions get the best of them. Between the Federation, the Foundation, my school, and my work, I have a pretty good eye for what’s going on. Whether it is amongst our highest ranking members, in the training hall, and or in our communities…I am concerned for the amount of negativity that is shared via Facebook and via email. I am also amazed at the amount of “look at me” that is going on. I am not sure what happened to humility but it appears it has gone the way of the Edsel.
I am encouraged however that not all have chosen to focus on negativity or what I call the “dark side”. I am also encouraged that sometimes just a bit of awareness is all people need to realize they may be letting the negatives sink deep into their subconscious where it can do the most damage for the long haul. Guard the temples of your mind my dear friends as the peddlers of doom and gloom are never far away!
Here’s some more food for thought. EVERYTHING IS ENERGY. Anger is hate actually turned inwards. Our martial way symbol or Moo Do represents stopping the sword. The sword cuts both ways. We stop the sword to stop inner and outer conflict. The root of anger includes self pride and the root of self pride is EGO. Did you ever hear the best way to win an argument? Don’t get in one! Choose not to participate…walk away come back another day. Would you rather be right or be happy? Remember, there are three roads you can walk. The low road, the middle road, or the high road. I choose to walk the high road!
I’d rather be happy, which is why I usually concede to those who argue and must be right no matter what. I see the EGO for what it is which is Eternally Guaranteed Obsolescence! There is a great Chinese proverb that goes, “If there is no enemy within there is no enemy without.” The EGO is the enemy within and it prevents us from experiencing peace of mind. If you want more peace of mind and to reduce inner and outer conflict, let go of your ego. It is that easy and that hard. I think you would agree that’s it’s so much more fun to smile, laugh and live life in a happy way.:-) Which is why I remind everyone that listens…
“Every day we train is a great day…which is why we train every day and please understand that training starts with the heart and goes through the mind before it gets to the body!” Lead from the heart first as that is where you center truly is. Then use your leadership or peak performance lessons to guide you to a higher level and then train the brain to make it automatic. If you are just training your body you become just another earthen vessel or “crack pot” who misses the bigger picture in my humble opinion. As we are all cracked as part of our human condition, it is our mind and spirit that helps keep it all together. For this reason alone, I encourage you to consider the mind, body, and spirit when you train and especially now during the Covid-19 pandemic.
There is no better workout for the mind, body, and spirit than emptying your cup, stilling your mind, and doing some serious hyung practice. That is why I train hard and train often. Want to feel better, look better, and become better than you were yesterday? Train your brain, your body, and your spirit every day and do remember to magnify the positives and shrink the negatives.