Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Face the facts like a true champion in the making....

A student, high school age, just inches from being awarded a second degree level in his black belt studies approaches me after class last evening…our endeavors on separate paths, the only connection, a Master who’s learned to see several rather than single on a horizon worth painting.



“I’m lost sir,” he openly displayed his confident questioning; “I thought you were finished and being in Tae Kwon Do would bring more damage.”



This is my fault.



I’ve made it clear to the many to which I study with that playing battle stations hard isn’t part of the plan on the stages we currently stand. Getting shoved face first into a sweaty mat or taken down by an arm bar that would break an average person’s wrist could physically invite situations medical officials aren’t in the department of wanting to handle…so they’ve asked me to be nothing more than one step above an observer.



Like any sport, football, basketball, soccer, Guitar Hero and Rock Band, anytime a team is met by a force one quarter its determination, the end result is by far the feeding grounds of purpose, a reason to leave behind, a decision to walk faster and farther ahead, a fear of one day having to see yourself wearing the same shoes by way of not knowing how to handle the gifted minds consistently willing to improve.



Native American’s knew of the walk—the strong will always survive, which is why the elders would free themselves of family connections to wander the nearby hills and streams until the sunrise could no longer be seen. Reaching this point didn’t come without question, Guides and Keepers wade through waters of challenge daily believing each hour is a new mountain to hike, every second nothing more than a wall to which we can penetrate. By the time the elder made it his reason to cut free from the band of a single nation every territory of discovery had been exhausted including the dreams he vowed to never stop recreating. Rather than become focused on the avenues of accomplishment the steps taken were always toward newer shapes of ideas that would enhance the entire being of family instead of the single mindedness of a spirits having flown.



Mr. Pearlman had every right to question my being at the martial arts school, his personal journey to succeed at levels people his age walk away from daily without life’s challenges, it makes him in a leader in battle not yet thought of—therefore it became my decision to not step away but educate how winning is a choice. He need not hear of the wars I’ve set on fire in doctors offices ordering them to free my passion to be a martial artist. He didn’t require a lecture on what positive reactions I elected to share after hearing an emergency room doctor calmly say, “I don’t know the final outcome of tonight but sir you need to know…”



Mr. Pearlman’s path was responsible for holding an answer, “Why are you here when doctors have said no?”



I thought, “Addiction.” The word that came out was, “Passion.”



Author and spiritualist Eckhart Tolle describes addiction as a long standing compulsive behavior pattern that lives inside you as a quasi-entity or sub-personality. It’s an energy field that periodically takes you over completely, stealing your mind by way of becoming a voice in your head.



I believe there is no human on this planet that doesn’t suffer from an addiction. Mine happens to be the art of creative flow which involves the mind, body and spirit tearing up a martial arts floor and or a 18x22 blizzard white canvas. Then one day something much larger than me stepped into the circle which these eyes couldn’t see—I could’ve turned my back and run but elected instead to take it on.



Quitting is an addiction.



What’s the best way to stop quitting? Generate the courage to locate awareness. What do you see, feel, hear and taste in the moments before you decide that you aren’t going to pull off the original state of mind? Document the behavior…so that the next time you’re introduced to its presentation, you’ll be gifted with just enough energy to step off the path, suck in three incredibly large lungs of air and begin the steps toward better living.



Breathing plays such an important part of our decision making—sadly the everyday average Joe Smith and his sister Carla have no clue as to what your body is really demanding. Compulsive urges are based on _____________. Fill in the blank while studying how your heart as it begins to race which forces your lungs to bring in more air. Gaining control of the breath maker puts you on a path of recovery.



Eckhart Tolle invites you to put your addiction on a playing field of awareness practice. The more you become aware the addictive patterns begin to fade and eventually disappear.



I didn’t say I’ve got an addiction to martial arts, I have passion. Without it, my mind becomes flooded with awareness. Learning how to catch a thought before it becomes reality is an avenue worth studying. It’s never wrong to ask, “Who is talking here?” If it’s the voice that demands that you have chocolate ice cream at 11:00 before bed, speak to it by way of inviting its wishes to share the unforgettable flavor at 8 pm so that the rest of you can have a fighting chance to digest it before laying half a sleep in a bed you hate.



So how did martial arts turn a suddenly bad situation in the emergency room into something extremely positive?



Leaning forward on an elbow bent nearly 180 degrees, the young at heart chin rests in the palm of a hand given to me at birth while the depths of the places this mind loves to travel quickly stops to locate a presentation of simple, easily understood words to no longer keep...

Simple? Easily understood? That's never been me...



Steal my art…



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

No comments:

Post a Comment