I once went on a professional development course called ‘the social and emotional lives of men who succeed at work’, it was run by a professor who had spent many many years researching his subject.
At the end of the first day I called my sister Rosy…‘We were brought up like boys’ I announced laughingly to her…
One of the things that supported this revelation was that our father taught us to shoot coca cola cans with an air rifle positioned at the end of our front lawn some 30 or 40 metres away! He also taught us to shadow box and to fall well – of which I’ve been very grateful – relaxing when there is the realisation that the fall cannot be stopped, has saved me breaking bones in dramatic tumbles over the years whilst out running.
As Anadi and I run through the parks we often see ‘boxing practise’ happening – sparring, training and general moves to perfect the art… Skipping an integral part of the practise – expertly done – smooth, light, nimble, agile…
‘I’d love to to do that’ I have often said as we run by….
Then a week ago Anadi appeared on Saturday morning with a gift for me….Beautiful purple boxing gloves and some practise pads!
So far I have had four teaching sessions, under Anadi’s instruction – I am loving my new practise!
And then I ordered the skipping ropes too, which arrived in a flash and so now I am learning to box, and to skip again for no reason; just because I saw it being practised in the park, and it called to me…
‘I’d love to do that’ My spirit called out…
It wanted to engage in the process of learning that art through this body of mine…’
Our whole life a process… A journey from our birth to our death.
While we’re here on planet earth in a body, anything we might undertake – any endeavour – is an opportunity to become connected to and understand ourselves – to know and remember our essential self.
All learning is to find out what, at the deepest level, we already know – the level of our most profound self…
So whatever we are attracted to – wherever we would like to develop new skills, to get better at something, to master it… We have the opportunity to become a master of life…
Becoming a master of life can then lead to becoming a master of letting go of this life, and all the attainments and achievements – and become the master of learning to die well.
If we live well, in each moment, then we can die well too.
This can only be experienced through practice…
Everything can be achieved through practice. But to fully ‘achieve’ things with Zen – being here and now – we must experience everything fully.
Of course there will be some things in our own unique energetic body, that we are more naturally inclined towards and when we practice them, the expression that emerges might be more expansive, more colourful, more bright, more fast, more tuneful… A higher level in terms of how we measure things on planet earth – than someone else…
But the secret is to value who we are and the expression of ourselves, without comparison to others…
We might be inspired by the achievements and expressions of others – but it is important that we do not compare ourselves in any negative way for this is painful for the spirit and holds up our journey here, and misses the point…
If we are attracted to perfect a skill – there need be no comparison to another person or another expression of the same thing!
We are all unique and whatever our own expression on planet earth, in whatever endeavour we want to undertake, it is unique and valuable.
What is important is the practice.
The practice of our art… What is important is to discover ourselves within the process, to see and experience our own light and our own unique colour… To share ourselves and to be generous with our energy.
And so it has come to pass that I am practising how to skip again, and learning the art of fighting…!