Hope: Ah yes, to have hope, what a wonderful idea. It's one of those 'self-help' mantra's that ring throughout all the private therapeutic sessions, the political campaigns, the medical people who when one is stricken with a life ending disease, are told to repeat it over and over. It might be a good idea when were in trouble, but it's not the only idea... is it? Like some Kenpoists, it can be just adopting a forced illusion, and we must ask if it's the only way we can make an effort to improve our situations. Hope is usually offered when things aren't going well, so I heard alot about it during various trying times in my life, both martial and personal, one being related to the other. Was I deceiving myself with forced positive thoughts thinking it was really helping me? I dunno, maybe. I know that I was afraid that the constant "hoping" might cause me to sacrifice today for the possibility of a better tomorrow.
Maybe, just maybe if I had studied the way to a better Kenpo mousetrap, I could hope to be famous. If I challenged the best Kenpo fighter to a bare knuckle contest, win or lose I could hope to have a 'tough guy" reputation, that way I could hope to be a legend. I don't think I'm addicted to hope, but I might be. Addiction is not a fact of life but a description about how we are choosing to live, so says Bruce Alexander.
Now a days, I just hope I heal enough to try Kenpo one more day and learn or pass on some sort of reality to myself or the student who asks the questions. Is that misleading thinking? It might be helpful for me to do a little less hoping about the future and pay more attention to the present and to life by being fully engaged in all of my emotions and those of those around me.
It's not job, it's not a hobby, it's a calling. I can't "hope" myself to a glorious and honorable end, I can only work (and very hard) to achieve it. That's the beauty of the calling, it's just keeps on...calling...
Posted
Feb 04 2008, 10:00 PM
by
Uncle