Wisdom

This month at the kung fu school we have been talking about wisdom. We were tasked with thinking of someone in our lives that possesses wisdom. Normally we associate wisdom with age and experience but when thinking about this task I kept thinking about my new son Ethan. We start out in life with a wisdom that is lost as we age - living entirely in the moment and it takes training such as martial arts or yoga to briefly regain this. One of the great benefits of martial arts training is that due to beings so mentally and physically demanding we can't possibly be thinking about our mental 'to do' list or worrying about the stresses in our lives while we train. It is a release from this huge burden life places upon us. Babies exist entirely this way. While caring for a baby it forces you to slow down as well. While I have 101 things I need to be getting on with while at home, while I am holding Ethan I can't get to any of it. You are then faced with 2 choices in life - be frustrated by it or accept that they are not going to get done right now and that the only thing to do is hold your child and fill it with love. Imagine what a wonderful world it would be if people treated each other like that and not just their offspring. If the next time you interacted with someone you gave them 100% of your attention and not just limit the interaction to communicate what you need and rush off to the next task. I am learning so much from Ethan, he is pushing me to the limits of my patience and endurance but I have found that the greatest contributions to my own personal wisdom have been learned at these extremes.

Nick
Green stripe sash