What do you want to express?

[ardchoille]

I have been studying Aikido - not just the techniques but also the philosophy of the art. As I was watching a video from the home dojo in Japan, one of the Japanese masters made a comment that stuck in my brain. This comment was made with regard to testing that determines if a student was eligible to rise in rank. The comment was "what do you want to express in the timeframe you have been given?" The more I thought about that comment the more I realized that I was getting deep enough into the art to see that philosophy plays just as important a part as does the physical techniques.

What do you want to express in the timeframe you have been given? That question also applies to life itself.

 

[Pinkpoison]

I read once that we spend more than half our lives worrying about things that never happen.
I try to remember that when something is bothering me.


Is that the kind of thing you mean?

 

[ardchoille]

I read once that we spend more than half our lives worrying about things that never happen.
I try to remember that when something is bothering me.


Is that the kind of thing you mean?

I took the question more to mean things like "how do you want to be remembered?" or "what kind of example do you want to set?" I feel that the world would be a much better place if everyone thought about these things before taking action.

Though the point you made is a good one and would also be worthy of philosophical discussion.