Only 2 Ways To Change
- Change Your Thoughts.
- Change Your Actions.
That’s it.
That’s all we can do to change. Oh sure, there’s plenty of things to effect and affect, to influence and impact. But those are the only two direct ways to create change.
Shaking your head “NO”? Well that’s a good example…(and I like your defiance).
First Act…
Action is where we excel as martial and healing artists. We move, sometimes slow, often quick, but we move. We like moving, we enjoy nuances of motion, and we quake with excitement when we move in new ways.
We move slowly to provoke change. Often, moving quickly hides nuances and submerges awareness of crisp, clear motion. So we move slow to hone our attention to motion, to expand our awareness of motion. And that makes change.
We change the way we act; we change our behavior.
Our capacity to move quick, fast, or explosively is realized when we discover smooth moves. And our capacity grows deeper and deeper, in both directions. We gather the capacity to go to Great Extremes of motion: super slow…even quite still…to very fast—and explosive.
Thinking? Let Go…
You can also change what and how you think. Now, you might imagine that you could also change your beliefs or values or fantasies, but those are all thoughts. There’s no real use in subdividing them. It’s all electrical brainy activity and reducing it will reduce the amount of energy you use.
The less you think, the greater your capacity to change.
Please, please, please…throw worries, most judgements, lots of cynicism, and all your self-loathing and self-aggrandizing out the window. It’s not easy…but it’s obvious (isn’t it) that these are not useful thoughts.
Go deeper…
The less you believe, the more you can change. Then think about reducing the amount of values and the number of fantasies you possess.
Does it sound dangerous? How easy can it be to let go of these thoughts? You may not need so many beliefs, values, or fantasies to live successfully.
Think about it.
You might discover great value in your friends and family by playing with them. There’s no use thinking about playing with them.
Why bother believing in the health benefits of Tai Chi?
No need.
If Taiji has benefits, you’ll feel them, see them, experience them: you’ll act them. Describe your experiences to your friends, not your idyllic thoughts of your perfect art.
Pick just one (or a couple) of your more useful and sensible beliefs; hold tight to a few central, core values, and enjoy less fantasizing…
That will make change.
