Have you ever tried really hard and couldn’t make something work, then you relaxed and it all worked out. This is a key element in the martial arts that I have been practicing and teaching for many years. Joe Hyams in his book, “Zen in the Martial Arts”, calls it “Effortless effort” where you put the effort at the right time making the technique seem effortless.
This applies to almost anything in life. When you force things to happen it causes stress and pressure. Many of it self induced. You may get to your destination and but it will be hard, really hard. If you push hard enough you will get a square peg in a round hole but it will never fit right. Make sense?
When you pull back a bit, let nature take its course and relax, the results come effortlessly and you could appreciate journey. It’s all about energy and flow. This doesn’t mean we don’t work hard. Just the opposite, you work hard but you also work smart.
A perfect example is people working so hard for so long that they reduce their mental energy and make poor decisions. When they rest, reflect and look at the big picture, they are on point again. Or people work out so much that they are stifling their success by not giving themselves proper recovery time. I have been guilty of this as well.
Self-Mastery is working hard and understanding where to put the energy to maximize the benefit with the least amount of effort.
Have a great week everyone!
