Promising You an Easy Life. An easy life is something we desire, who doesn’t want that?
And it is the kind of life that results in an unedited, soft life. I would argue a trivial life. We can’t escape the trauma the hardship of this life it is in the nature of our existence, it is inescapable.
Pain is Not Welcome
It’s not welcomed and it often is horrific in many ways but it is. We seek a painless life it’s our nature to avoid pain. A simple proof is when we touch a hot stove, we only do it once.
Every great religion, every great philosophy, every great myth, every great legend, every great parable contains the negative element. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make all the bad go away. Who wouldn’t want that for their child their wife their partner their spouse or anybody else that they cared about?
But I nor anybody else on the face of the Earth has the power to do so not in the long run. In the short run, we can put bandages on it. We can do surgery; we can do the things that kind of patch over or in some instances even solve the problem, but there’s always another one coming.
The Little Dutch Boy and Sisyphus
We’re like the little Dutch boy from the story, running around from dike to dike putting his fingers in the next leak.
The Secret to this is to put your feet underneath you, to stand tall. Do what needs to be done and do it to the best of your ability. If you do it wrong if you get knocked down get your footing reset. When you get a win celebrate. If it goes your way acknowledge it, and if you do a job well-done sit in for a little while and enjoy. When you get a break, something happens that is unexpected and this wonderful. Go ahead take a moment to be grateful. Enjoy because there is no promising you an easy life.
Celebrate Your Victories
It isn’t an easy life but then you knew that. Now what you need to do is go out and enjoy it. Did I just say that you’re supposed to enjoy pain? No, I didn’t say that. Am I saying you are supposed to enjoy your victories and your celebrations? Absolutely.
All of these require you to have your feet underneath you. To stand tall and do what needs to be done. All the while knowing that in some instances it will not be sufficient and in other ways, you will fail and fail big. But you do your best.
You do it to the best of your ability and you acknowledge that you’ve done so and move on. This is why we don’t have an easy life. It was never promised to us and as the classic song from the 70 says, “I never promised you a rose garden.”
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KRIS WILDER
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
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