I’ve been thinking about this question a lot: Why do I do what I do?
What I’ve realized is that sometimes the reasons I have for doing things changes with time. Sometimes I stumble into doing something for one reason and then discover other reasons later on.
For example, as a young kid I had dreamed of becoming a black belt in a martial art. Because I never started training in martial arts, earning a black belt was only a dream. I finally did start training in To-Shin Do in 2014 to realize a childhood dream and to learn how to defend myself and others against aggressors.
What I discovered is that martial arts is much more than about earning a black belt. The training has led to me discovering new reasons for why I train and continue to train even after earning a black belt:
- Learning how to move more efficiently using integrated movement with gravity instead of muscular force. This is an example of the Daoist principle of wu wei (or effortless action).
- Cultivating awareness of my surroundings and my ability to focus appropriately on what is important. In other words, I’m learning how to be more fully present to my own self and the environment around me.
- Following a path for whole personal development. I love to learn and there is no end to the learning on this path.
I’m only using martial arts as an example. The real point of sharing martial arts as an example is to point out that we all have reasons for doing what we do. The important thing is to understand the reasons with the realization that sometimes they change, which leads to the question: Why are we still doing what we are doing? If we no longer have a good reason, maybe we should stop.
Kindly,
David