Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Championship Studies 01:Christ
Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly—
the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep. ~ Isaiah 53:11-12 (The Message) ~
the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep. ~ Isaiah 53:11-12 (The Message) ~
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Process Not Product
"You will never learn to do any endeavor properly unless you are willing to give yourself time."
The following are from Joe Hyams incredible book, Zen In The Martial Arts, chapter entitled, "Process Not Product."
The author talks about how there is a difference between patience and process:
Patience: "To be patient is to have the capacity of calm endurance. ~ Master Han ~
Process: To give yourself time is to actively work toward a goal without setting a limit on how long you will work." ~ Master Han ~
This is the major distinction, Hyams explains that patience is great, but process is what producing a product is all about...patience allows you to focus on the product, but the process is allowing yourself time for natural learning to take place, where patience is the ability to have a calm endurance while the natural learning is occuring.
What about deadlines in the real world?
Realistically, we don't have the all the time in the world, so here is what you need to do in the midst of deadlines:
1. Use goals and deadlines as targets to focus your training and your process. Use them to get you motivated and to push you to become your best.
2. Even with real deadlines, what you can do is MENTALLY eliminate the deadlines in order to allow the process to flow and be free. Neurologically, we have the same center in our brains where stress and thinking compete for the same synapses and neural connections. So in order to think clearly and creatively, we must eliminate stress. Here is what Hyams says about this:
~ Master Bong Soo Han ~
The following are from Joe Hyams incredible book, Zen In The Martial Arts, chapter entitled, "Process Not Product."
The author talks about how there is a difference between patience and process:
Patience: "To be patient is to have the capacity of calm endurance. ~ Master Han ~
Process: To give yourself time is to actively work toward a goal without setting a limit on how long you will work." ~ Master Han ~
This is the major distinction, Hyams explains that patience is great, but process is what producing a product is all about...patience allows you to focus on the product, but the process is allowing yourself time for natural learning to take place, where patience is the ability to have a calm endurance while the natural learning is occuring.
Patience + Process = Product
What about deadlines in the real world?
Realistically, we don't have the all the time in the world, so here is what you need to do in the midst of deadlines:
1. Use goals and deadlines as targets to focus your training and your process. Use them to get you motivated and to push you to become your best.
2. Even with real deadlines, what you can do is MENTALLY eliminate the deadlines in order to allow the process to flow and be free. Neurologically, we have the same center in our brains where stress and thinking compete for the same synapses and neural connections. So in order to think clearly and creatively, we must eliminate stress. Here is what Hyams says about this:
"When I eliminated the deadline from my mind it was like removing a weight from my body."
"For the uncontrolled there is no wisdom, nor for the uncontrolled is there the power of concentration; and for him without concentration there is no peace. And for the unpeaceful, how can there be happiness?
~ Bhagavad Gita ~
• • •
"The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price."
-- Vince Lombardi
• • •
"For the uncontrolled there is no wisdom, nor for the uncontrolled is there the power of concentration; and for him without concentration there is no peace. And for the unpeaceful, how can there be happiness?
~ Bhagavad Gita ~
• • •
"The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price."
-- Vince Lombardi
Friday, October 30, 2009
Empty Your Cup
Do you need new ideas on a creative project? Are you trying to understand something new? Are you learning a new subject or theory? If so, try "emptying your cup" so that you can see things from new perspectives, it could lead you to your breakthrough!Bruce Lee practiced emptying his cup...he explains the idea like this, and I paraphrase...imagine I am pouring you a cup of organic green mint tea into a sponge bob square pants cup...Imagine that I pour and pour until the tea overflows...why is the tea overflowing? Because the cup is full...there is no more room for new tea...
This is how it is when we learn something new...if your mind is full of preconcieved suppositions, bias, speculations, suspicions, etc, then you will truly not learn the fullnes of what you are being taught. NOW, this does not mean you can't question, argue, analyze, or bring in previous experiences into the game...critiquing what you are learning at all times actually helps you learn at accelerated rates...just be open to learning in new ways is simply all I am saying...
Empty your cup in order to fill your knowledge, apply, and then do!
For your enjoyment, check out this great Bruce Lee interview:
Bruce Lee - Lost Interview
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