"There is a huge and rising hunger in just about everybody for authentic experience and reconnecting with what's deepest and best in ourselves in an ever accelerating and complex world", says psychologist Jon Kabat-Zinn as open to the book "Living Deeply, The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life.
I really like that. Authentic experience. Connecting with what is best and deepest in ourselves. The complexities of the modern world.
To a great degree this is what we do when we train. We search for better. We long for the experience that will validate our understanding of the real. The search for quality.
One of the easiest ways to gauge this to compare it with something else. Perceived exertion, perhaps. We know, our bodies know, that to get fitter, faster or lighter, some change is going to be necessary, additionally, we discover that when we dig deep to find the best us possible, that the digging might require a backhoe. There is a lot of digging to get dug. Through some rock, hardpan and clay. Hard stuff. Years of abuse, neglect, denial, bias, fear and doubt. Maybe we should soften it up a bit with a stick of dynamite or two.
But wait. Let's take a time out and examine this work. Are we going to get it done today? No. Next week? Probably not. By Christmas? Nada Mr. Scrooge, ain't gonna happen. So how do we respond to all these bad tidings? Quit, toss the towel, numb the responsibility with food, drink, drugs, sex, Harry Potter movies and razzelberry dressing?
No.
We validate the experience and respect the authentic value of the process. We take it one day at a time and we bring all we have to the dig. Day after day after day. We buy gloves. As intervals; Work, rest, run, recover, give, get, dig. Authentic experience. Shovel work. Blisters. You want it? Then you gotta earn it. Not that complex after all.
Finding the best in ourselves. Takes work and it takes time. Let's be patient and let's enjoy the ride. Hand me that shovel, mate.
1+1+1 for Jake Locker:
After the Gold Rush, Neil Young
Illusions, Richard Bach
Braveheart
"Lower your flags and march straight back to England, stopping at every home you pass by to beg forgiveness for a hundred years of theft, rape, and murder. Do that and your men shall live. Do it not, and every one of you will die today." William Wallace.
No comments:
Post a Comment