Daily Yamabushi

Let things do their thing

Things change forever at the drop of a hat, but at the same time it’s business as usual. A huge shift happens underneath, but at the surface, it’s business as usual. Sooner rather than later, though, what’s below the surface becomes on the surface, and things are back to their temporary permanence, albeit this time more permanent.

Some times things going on in the background have a disproportionate effect on your surface. And that’s fine. You don’t have to fight it, and neither should you. Just let things do their thing, and accept it at every moment. The dust will settle. The sun will rise. And you’ll be there to meet it when it does.

It’s out there

Just out of reach. But it’s still there on the horizon. No rush. No need to go out there and meet it. It will come in due time. Be patient. And embrace it when it comes.

Give it a go

‘Try me’. Give it a go. See what you come up with. Force it out if you have to. Do whatever you can to get your ideas in the world. Useful or otherwise. Even if you don’t find a use for them, someone else might. Try me. Give it a go.

Feed the hand that feeds you

The machine. The thing that keeps you running. The engine. That’s your first priority. Get that right, and everything else falls into place. Then all you have to worry about is feeding the machine. Get your priorities straight, and the machine will take care of not only itself, but you too.

And that’s saying something

It’s a start. And that’s saying something. The first step has been taken, the first move towards a better outcome than before. That all important momentum is picking up speed, and it all started with a start. And that’s saying something.

Push yourself back up

When I was learning to snowboard, a friend said ‘if you start to feel like you’re about to fall over, don’t. Push yourself back up off the ground.’

We have the ability to stop ourselves from falling. Things don’t always have to be a foregone conclusion. If you catch yourself falling, push yourself back up. Even if only temporarily, it can mean the difference between success and and failure.

It only makes you better

In yamabushi training there are a number of skills that take time to master. It could be as simple as mastering a chant, or learning to play the Horagai conch. Some people leave that up to their time together in the mountains, but more often than not that isn’t enough. More often than not you need to apply yourself outside training hours to get better at these skills. But more often than not we get lazy. The training isn’t for a few weeks, so we put off the practice, so to speak. But when you do do the practice, and then you get out there, it really shows. It shows not only in your ability to perform the skill, but in your attitude towards it since you’ve made some progress in bettering yourself already.

You know what needs doing. You know what standard you need to be at. So go out there and do it. Put in the hard yards before your time on the mountains. It makes a world of difference.

Where the magic happens

The first step in getting used to something, is taking the first step. After that, the magic happens. Don’t think too deeply about it. I fact, don’t think about all. Just take the first step.

Treat it as such

“Ninety miles is only half of a hundred-mile journey” (行百里者半九十 – Xíng bǎi lǐ zhě bàn jiǔ shí). 

– Chinese proverb

This alone says enough. Don’t allow yourself to end prematurely when the end is in sight. Don’t let your foot off the accelerator just yet. There’s still work to do. Make it 100% before you even think of celebrating.

When I’m swimming, this is the final 200m of a long set. It sometimes truly does feel like you are only halfway. You’re not, and you can let your adrenaline keep you ticking, but you shouldn’t rely on that at the same time either. Keep the 90% is halfway concept at the back of your mind.

Let the results speak for themselves

It’s all discipline. A discipline in something you follow to achieve your goals. It’s also something you follow when you don’t exactly know what those goals are. And that’s fine. Stick to the discipline in the meantime, and the results will show for themselves.

Want results? Get them. Get a discipline. Be disciplined.

As good as a place as any

Back at the start. Maybe even further back. But you’re facing forward. There’s a tail wind. You’re going to keep going because that’s who you are. Take the first step, again. It’s as good a place as any.

Which one is it?

Some things have a cost. They take something from you. Others have a price. A certain amount required to get the thing. Sure the price could be seen as a cost, but cost and price are fundamentally different things.

Is it worth the cost? Or is it worth the price? Which one is it?

Keep it sustainable

Being overly generous is not being generous to yourself. It’s unsustainable, and can lead to fatigue, or worse, indifference. You may find that being less generous is more generous on yourself, and more motivational to boot. By all means be generous, just don’t overdo it.

And if it isn’t, you’re doing something wrong

It’s a privilege to serve you. And if it isn’t, you’re doing something wrong. If it isn’t, find someone else.

It’s a privilege to serve you means you take pride in it. Taking pride in it means you do your best. What more could we ask for?

Your first priority

Whether you can see a mile or a meter, you play what’s in front of you. The thing closest to you is what matters most. The things that are far away can change by the time you get there. No need worrying about them, unless you see them becoming a problem on the horizon of course. By then they’re already what’s in front of you.

Inconvenienced? Take a walk through the park.

Today I was rather inconvenienced. Instead of parking in my normal spot, I had to park further away. This meant that, god forbid, I had to pass through a park on my way to where I was going.

It may be a blessing in disguise. It may be a walk in the park.

Which comes first?

Can’t? Or won’t? Could? Or should? Should? Or must? Which comes first?

More than enough

The desire is coming from inside you. You don’t need people telling you you can’t do it. Especially if you think you can. Have a desire? Follow through! If it’s really your desire, you can find a way. And if it doesn’t work? Well it may not have been your desire after all.

What else but Uketamo?

What would Master Hoshino do?Something I have asked myself multiple times, and I always come up with the same answer: Uketamo. Simple. He would let it be. He wouldn’t make a fuss about it at all. Master Hoshino would just Uketamo, and move on.

And that’s it. That’s what we need to do. Simple. Let it be. Don’t make a fuss about it. Uketamo, and move on.

Get it done.

Get what needs doing done. Get it out of the way first. Then play. Get the energy out. Play to your hearts content. When the work is done.

A sign of growth

It sucks to realise, but if you look back at things you’ve done in the past and cringe, you’ve grown. You now know a better way to do things. You now know what works, and equally what doesn’t. If you have something to cringe at, you have something to grow from.

The reason you do it

If you ever need a motivator, think who not what. The people behind it are the reason you do it.

When I chant as a yamabushi, if I do this, I get chills. It’s like a secret code. It also works when you don’t feel like doing something. If you think about the people you are doing it for, then naturally the motivation flows.

I was listening to a recent Tim Ferriss podcast where Claire Hughes Johnson, the former COO of Stripe and author of Scaling People, mentioned considering the people behind things when going about doing things.

This reminded me exactly of the famous Māori saying:

He aha te mea nui o te ao?

What is the most important thing in the world?

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.

And that’s exactly right.

Why worry?

Some people think they are more important than you. Some people are more important than you. Take solace in the fact you don’t have to worry about it. After all, there are more important things.

Find the Beat

It’s hard to sleep in a room where someone is snoring. It’s hard to concentrate when there’s so much noise around. It’s hard to put a baby to sleep if they’re not rocking to a beat.

Take a moment to find rhythm in the noise, then you’re well on your way.

Make it last

Is it truly better? Or is it just different? Is there truly an improvement? Or does it just look like there’s one? Substance lasts. Posturing doesn’t. Make it last. Make it better.

Find a way to make it easy

If it’s too hard, find a way to make it easy. If that’s too hard, it’s probably time to give up and try something else. Alternatively, maybe you’re trying too hard. Take your foot off the accelerator and see if that makes a difference. If not, then yeah, it’s too hard and you should probably give up.

The world will still spin.

The sun will still rise.

The birds will still chirp.

The grass will still grow.

The world will still spin.

Be an Outlier

Do everything by the book they say. Get good grades. Get a good job. Put your nose down and work. Retire. Then and only then will you be free.

So they say.

By the book is by the balls.

Exactly where they have you. Exactly where the 3:45pm Thursday meetings that last 30 minutes have you.

Not to mention, retirement is by no means guaranteed. Statistically speaking we will live long enough to have a healthy retirement. Statistically speaking there will be outliers.

Be an outlier of the other sort. Choose to retire early. Do the things you want to do in retirement now. You may find you hate it. But at least you didn’t wait until retirement!

They may have you by the balls for now. But they don’t have ultimate power over you. You have the power. You have the choice. Make it. Be an outlier.

Seeing The Mountain

You never can see the whole mountain. By the time you see it all, it’s already changed. Even things as permanent as a mountain are in a state of flux. There’s no waiting until it’s done.

The tough keep going

When the going gets tough, the tough don’t get going. They’re already going. They don’t stop. They keep going. The tough know overall that’s the easier way.