Practice Your Beauty

There's a saying in Chinese martial arts;

"Miss One day of practice and you know it. Miss two days and your teacher knows it. Miss three days and everyone knows it!"

Have you ever studied somebody like Bruce Lee? I mean really studied him and his life? Not many people may think it worthwhile to do so. That's okay. But see, when you understand and fully GET the opening saying to this blog, you'll see the magic and wonder of what it means to own a beautiful life.

Take a look at Bruce Lee's physique in the picture above. Pretty amazing, isn't it? And it isn't that Lee had super extraordinary talent or anything like that. No. What Lee had -- and this is true for ANYONE you consider successful -- Lee had developed a passion for practice.

Yes. That's right. Lee practiced and practiced until he reached a level of mastery. A level that was too intense for the rest. He practiced. Intensely. And if he skipped practice - well - everyone would soon find out.

Consider a business owner who's constantly into one drama or another when it comes to creating a profitable business. What's their current level of practice towards creating those profits?

Well, it may surprise you to even hear the idea of practice when speaking about business. Well, creating a physique and becoming a supreme martial artist like Bruce Lee is no different than being a super fine business person with a delicious enviable lifestyle - both need practice.

And, when practice towards creating excellence in any area or endeavour fizzles by the wayside, it is instantly replaced by sloppiness, frustration and anguish. And yes, you know it... the world knows it.

There's a beauty in Lee's life. Martial arts. And just as it's so for the writer, the business person, the home creator, the teacher, the administrator, the mother, the spouse, the politician... whoever it may be... once that art and craft is practiced and then practiced some more until it reaches a level of beautiful mastery, then they too will reach the levels of greatness most only gawp at.

Success is in the commitment to the practice. And it's an open book. Where there's frustration and lack of results - simply take a look at the person's practice routine. You'll find all you'll ever need to know about how to fix what's not working.

Practice your beauty. The world's waiting for you to show them what you've got.

RCH

A Life of Pathetic Excuses

When I read the quote below by Woody Allen, it helped my thinking in terms of how to get across a specific message.

Here's the quote;

"The biggest life lesson I learned is that you have to discipline yourself to do the work. If you want to accomplish something, you can't spend time hemming and hawing, and making excuses. You actually have to do it. I still have to go home every single day, know where I am, what I'm doing - and include 45 minutes of practice on my clarinet because I want to play. I want to write, too, so I get up, go in, close the door and write. You can't string paper clips and get a pad ready and play around."

Now isn't THAT a breath of clarity and freshness!

See, there's no room for living an excuse based life when we really get Woody and what he's up to regarding his own personal success.

But here's the truth of it from the many I hear who want a different life, but do nothing different to make things happen.

And the truth is - we love to rejoice in the miserable story of our own ineffectiveness because it takes us AWAY from the fix; the cure; the solution.

And that means... ACTION! Momentum. Flow. Movement.

There IS a tremendous fear of success for many. Those looking for a better life, really do speak a good life... they really do paint a picture of success and happiness... they really do convince themselves and others around them that they're making strides... but you know... there's no evidence to support all that. It's all smoke and mirrors puffery... illusionary make believe activity.

However, what there is an abundance of is a ton of airplay in the number one hit - "THE MISERY OF MY LIFE".

When I found myself making excuses for what I was up to, it drained me. I felt zapped, continuously. My energy levels would hit an all time low. My mumbling language gave the game away. My nervousness troubled my self-concept and weakened it to a shivering wreck.

And I'm glad I experienced all that because I can see from both sides of the fence. A life of excuses... and... a life of activity and momentum based on what I want.

Imagine Woody playing around with his paper clips and doodling on his notepad instead of creating his masterful work!!?

He would have cheated the world of his contribution. But no, he's giving us all he's got.

So, are you merely doodling and chucking paperclips... or are you doing the WORK to create your own masterpiece for us to marvel at?

When's The Next Tantrum Storm Coming?

Yanking one's hair out because the kids are screaming... flying off the handle because of absorbing harsh words... experiencing heart pounding panic because of a lack of cash coming in... frustration and despair setting in because of an un-finished project or a job left undone... biting ones bankruptcy nails because of the chaos in the business...

It seems to be 'the way' many of us handle all the 'unwanted things' in life. And as a world collective, we're not 'trained' in any other way to deal with it all than what we currently, do.

Would you like a NEW way to look at the same situation? You would! Great. Because if you really catch this distinction and you make it an everyday way of looking of looking at things in your life, things'll change for you... rapidly.

So, frustration... hurt... fear... sadness... misery... sorrow... pain... worry... dejection... rejection... depression... are nothing more than a protest against reality. Against truth. Against what's real and what's occurring.

Now, quite simply, the more we kick and fuss and moan about reality and truth, the more out of synch and the more out of control we are.

I lose out on a big lucrative contract for the work I do. The 'normal' way of reacting would be to take it all seriously and get all analytical and all that. It may help to do that. For a while.

However, if I make it a continual practice of being committed to the process of misery, sadness and dejection... I'm playing into the game of what society, the media, those around say is... the right thing to feel.

You know, "there there, it'll be fine... just take your time... it's okay to feel bad about it all... doesn't matter that you're depressed, moody and can't cope, there are specialists who can deal with all of that... you've a right to feel like that, it's normal and natural..."

Now to me, that's kind of ... the WRONG way to do it! Now, that's my personal opinion and I can give you that opinion because I've been in that horrible, unwanted situation... so I'm speaking from the baseline of truth and reality.

And when I kicked against what occurred (truth and reality), I experienced an even deeper tantrum about what the heck was going on. It wasn't the situation that was screwed up, I was messed up. I messed up in the way I looked and dealt with the situation.

I tried to throttle the reality of the situation without understanding that I'm kicking against nature... the wind... gravity... old age. It's a hopeless conversation I entertain in the confines of my own head... again and again and again... just like a rerun of a thoroughly BAD movie. And my, doesn't it feel oh so comfortable!

I think I must have played the tantrum game against reality for a couple of decades... in one way or another.

However, when I realised that I'd been cheating myself, my family and the world out of the contribution I could make, turnaround happened.

And, a similar turnaround can happen for anyone... at anytime... anyplace... no matter what the kicking tantrum is all about.

So, the antidote to a protest, a tantrum against reality... is to get into creative action in order to serve others with the unique contribution we can deliver.

Now tell me... isn't that a more beautiful way to live... isn't that a more pleasant way to deal with the brewing storm that may be just over the horizon?