“There is a courage
of happiness as well as a courage of sorrow” - Alfred Adler
There is a courage manifested by heroes and leaders willing
to sacrifice everything for the good of others. There is also an everyday
courage that sometimes helps us to just get out of bed, to proceed to the accomplishment
of the tasks that life brings us each day. Simple tasks which we can give
ourselves can build this type of muscle and facilitate our ability to
accomplish much. Accomplishing easier tasks develops “muscles” useful when we
find ourselves facing the more difficult trials which life sometimes presents to
us.
Physical, mental (intellectual), emotional, and spiritual exercises
can all be seen as processes which develop “character”. Difficult tasks are not
necessarily made easier, but developing strong habits of not shunning or procrastinating
the taking on of tasks which are not easy for us creates much strength and
fortitude. The courage to take the more difficult path, even in simple and
supposedly easy tasks, is built through practice.
In my life, examples abound.
Sometimes just going to the pool to swim can require this kind of
effort. Going to open mike night to play guitar and sing is a bit more
difficult, but also more rewarding. Other people more talented and experienced
than me at this endeavor, who I had thought found this easy, have told me that
even they still experience much anxiety each time they go on stage. The ability to not
let this stop one from trying, again, is built through practice. It does get
easier and more comfortable as new skills evolve. The anxiety doesn’t
necessarily go away, but rather, it becomes an old friend, something we can
live with, not something which stops us. Writing and teaching also evolve from
these simple exercises of will, as does my neuropsychology work. On the
spiritual side, the ability to do the right thing, even when it’s not popular,
also grows through practice.
Practicing T’ai Chi also requires this kind of effort,
especially in the beginning. The rewards manifested through overcoming this kind
of inertia can transcend each specific task and generalize to give us this kind
of strength in all our areas of endeavor. This is yet another way that the
study of T’ai Chi can provide much value.
Best Wishes & Happy Holidays,
Daniel
