Daily Yamabushi

Show me the jealousy, show me the motivation.

If you’re feeling at a loss as to what to do, look for where you feel jealousy.

Ask yourself, am I jealous out of pity for myself, and is there something to be gained from this?

Often if we feel jealousy it’s because we too want a slice of the action, we too want a slice of the pie. This can be an extremely useful way of showing us where our motivations lie.

Show me the jealousy, show me the motivation.

Was yesterday’s problem

Today’s success starts yesterday.

Tomorrow’s success starts right now. Want success? What are you willing to do to make your tomorrow? What are you willing to do to make your now?

One less thing to worry about

The past is a collection of them, and we may not like it, but decisions often have a way of being made for us.

This is a good thing. It’s one less thing to worry about.

Decisions made for us are a blessing in disguise. Sure you may feel hard done by at times, but again, that’s one less thing to worry about in future.

Forget the opposition

Being aware of the opposition players so you don’t get caught out is one way to do it, but there’s a more effective way. Move your focus from where your path can be blocked, to where it can be made.

Forget the opposition, mind the gaps.

Where you’ll be

Get there as soon as you can. Even if you aren’t ‘there’ yet, being in the proximity of there is a good place to start. Where you are might not be where you want to be, but it’s closer than not being anywhere.

Save your own face

As a rule you don’t give haters the light of day. Say for example that hater is talking to a room full of other people, then it’s a different story. In that case, not giving them the light of day can backfire, as you can be seen to be inattentive and disrespectful. There you can give them the light of day, fake if necessary. It takes a bit of biting your upper lip, but anything that could damage your reputation is a plus for them.

Just like a buddha

Why do babies look like buddha? Why do buddha look like babies? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Does it have something to do with babies living entirely off instinct meaning they are in a state of enlightenment? Are buddha simply trying to replicate that state? How can we replicate that state?

One potential solution to the modern addiction

It’s quite obvious, I’m addicted to my phone. Whenever I’m without it I find myself searching. Even when I know it’s nowhere near me I get phantom vibrations, even when I’m wearing yamabushi robes without pockets.

I need help. I need a way to forget about my phone so I can focus on what’s important. Of course during yamabushi training we don’t use our phones at all, which is absolutely freeing. But that just isn’t practical, especially when I do actually need the phone for the function it was originally built for, telephone calls.

However I did stumble across one potential solution, or at least one way to stave off the addiction for a little while:

‘Forget’ your phone. Leave it in the car. Leave it at home. Leave it on to charge and go do something else. Leave it behind, on purpose. Do that enough and you should feel comfortable enough without it. In theory, at least. Worth a try for sure.

It matters

Stand out. Or don’t. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you stayed true to yourself. If you feel like standing out, stand out. If you don’t, don’t. It matters.

Acceptance is always an option

There are genuine times when you should stake your claim. Unnecessarily contested parking lot battles aren’t them.

My car was in the spot. Or at least, it was over the line that meant officially it was mine. But that didn’t stop the other car from staking their claim, and, true to form, they started backing in. If I had just given up then and there, reversed, and claimed the spot behind, I would have beaten them into the shop, and wouldn’t have had to wait for their order before getting mine. As it so happens, I got the spot, they got the spot right next to me, but that meant they could get in the shop earlier. I had lost. Plus, I had made an enemy before I even met the dude.

Just do it

Get in there before your mind clouds your judgment. Get in there before you get in your own way. The only way to do something, is to do it. Don’t even think it.

What to do

When teaching, I like to keep things positive. I like to keep the atmosphere friendly and with a vibe of moving forward together. When we tell people not to do things though, it can ruin this momentum. It can leave a sour taste in your mouth that is otherwise avoidable.

And it’s quite simple too.

Don’t tell me what not to do, tell me what to do. Instead of saying ’don’t run’, say ‘walk’. Instead of saying ’you’re not allowed to do that’, say ‘why don’t you try this?’

This simple change can have a profound impact on the way we interact, and the way people perceive the other people and environment around them. And the best thing is, it’s so simple.

Well?

Instagram. YouTube. Sudoku. Email.

Your wife’s opinion. Your friend’s time. Your child’s sleep. Your mother’s love.

Your life.

That you’re right

Chances are chances. By definition, chances are uncertain. Uncertainty breeds fear and anxiety. But hope and desire are also uncertain. Chances are chances, but chances that need to be taken.

Chances are that you’re right.

In it to win it

When you’re still in the game, you’re still in the game. If efforts seem futile, know that they are not. You still have the chance to improve your attitude in spite of the circumstances. Being able to improve your attitude in the bleakest of circumstances will set you up well in the future. With the right attitude now, next time well and truly could be the one.

Is asking for trouble

Getting a second opinion? Make sure it’s not your own. Seek feedback in the real world, however disappointing it may be for you at the time, it will help you grow much faster than if you were taking your own second opinion.

The trick to good Japanese cooking

Japanese cuisine, or at least a lot of it, is very simple. If there’s not enough flavour, you add a bit of soy sauce. Too much, and it becomes too salty. When it’s too salty, you just add water. And so on, and so on, until you get it just right. The trick is to only add slight amounts each time.

We only exist on this earth for a finite amount of time

I would give anything to hear the voice of my father. I would give anything to have his wisdom instilled in my daily decisions. Since he’s gone, life has gotten a whole lot more complicated. It would be great to have some advice on how to proceed.

But I am perfectly aware that advice is not coming. I am perfectly aware that I have to be the one to either find the advice somewhere else, or make it up myself.

And that’s fine. That’s life. That’s what it means to live in this world.

We are only temporary. Not only us, but the ones we love too. The ones we turn to for advice, for example.

So if we had the ability to distill all the things we’ve learned over the years into consumable lessons or what have you, don’t you think we should do it? Don’t you think it would be great to hear from the advice of your ancestors? I certainly do.

And that’s where tradition comes in. That’s why we do the things we always do. Of course if these things become irrelevant it’s ok to change them up a bit. That’s how worthy traditions survive the test of time.

The love of the ancestors is there in our traditions, in our culture, in our identities. And the best, positive, parts you find, you do your darnedest to pass them down. We are only here temporarily, after all.

Are they the same?

What are you doing? What do you need to do? Why are they different? Why aren’t you doing what you need to be doing? If what you’re doing is what you need to be doing, that’s fine. If not, make it so it is. Either by making what you are doing what you need to be doing, or vice versa.

Or it plays you

Use every advantage you have to your advantage. Make the most of what you’ve been given. Play the system like it needs to be played. The system we humans have created may not be the best for everyone, but you can make it the best for you by playing it, and playing it well. Because what’s the alternative?

Getting ready

There are many things we do to get ready. Singers warm up their voice before they get started. Dancers stretch their bodies. Sport players have their own ways of getting in the ‘zone’. Yet all of these things are getting ready, and sometimes that takes a long time.

Maybe you’re still just warming up? It’s all part of the process.

Seeing it through the tough times

Dan Ariely proposes resilience can be separated into type one, and type zero. Type one is resilience after something has happened. Are we resilient enough to come out the other side? Type zero is the kind we generally see everyday, do we have the support systems in place to back us up shall we fall?

Where does this sense of resilience come from? We get it from our parents, friends, significant others, society, and even the government. Unfortunately, these days, we’re experiencing less resilience type zero due to weakened social relationships and declining trust in institutions. -Dan Ariely

I propose yet another place this resilience should come from: ourselves. Do we trust our own our resilience, our own resources, our own abilities, to get us through when we need it? Do we trust our own selves to see things through?

Because we should.

Especially those who have gone through hardship and come out the other side, we need to trust in our own experience to believe that we can get through, or if not, that we have the resourcefulness to find the answer in the moment.

Because we do.

All In

If you’re going to do it, you’re going to do it right.

Commit. Give it your all. No half chances. Nothing’s guaranteed, so give yourself the best possible chance to succeed. Go all in. Go the nine yards.

Get it started

Get it started. Get it done. Do what you have to do to make things happen. Don’t dwell on it. Just act. There’s work to do.

Give your best shot

Uncertainty is a wicked beast. It either brings out the best in us, or sees us simply fail to even try. Failing to even try is a certain failure. Attempting the uncertain is a chance at glory. A chance we must be willing to take.

In the face of uncertainty we either give up, or we give our best shot.

Is not broken

The broken Lego set is not broken. It’s waiting for a creator to remold it into something new, something never seen before, something even the creator didn’t know existed.

The broken Lego set is not broken. It’s telling you it’s your turn.

The push you need

No wind is nice and calm for a while. But it doesn’t get you anywhere. Let the wind give you the push you need.

Why aren’t you doing that?

Is there a reason for your inaction? You had an idea, you shared your idea and someone said, ’that’s great! Why don’t you do that?’ But the real question is, why aren’t you doing that?

You never know until you go

Is what you’re about to do a risk? Or is it an opportunity? The only way to know for sure is to test it, yet either way, I think you’ll find it is always the latter.

Even if things go sideways, you’ll have eliminated one ‘incorrect’ answer. This puts you one step closer to finding the ’right’ one.

And if things don’t go sideways, well, you’ve proven that what could have been thought of as a risk was just an opportunity in disguise. And all you needed to do? Was act on a hunch.

Another word for adversity

Life gets you down, it’s what it’s good at. Sometimes things seem to be conspiring against you in particular. Adversity, by definition, is harsh. Yet when you’re down but not out, you’re still in with a chance.

They said you couldn’t do it. They tried hard to get you down by stacking the table in their favour. But you know better than them. You’re better than that, and you know all that adversity is just adding fuel to the fire.

Don’t let them get you down. Let them fuel you.