#maranasati

Funny how quickly three days can slip through your fingers in these harrowing times. No one is sure what will come next. No one can tell you if things will ever go back to “normal.” At any moment one could develop a fever and cough only to find oneself drowning in one’s own lungs hours or days later.

It can be exceedingly difficult to proceed apace and attempt to live life in the lackadaisical…

Do you frequently have an excuse for not attending class regularly or practicing at home? 

I’ve heard them all ... 

Had to work late, the car broke down, the dog peed on the carpet, friends made me go to happy hour, and on and on it goes. 

Maybe then, you need to be hit over the head with this hard dose of reality from Socrates: 

Memento Mori. 

Or as the Buddhists say: Maranasati.   

It basically means you are going to die. 

Marcus Aurelius wrote in his journal, Meditations: 

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do, say, and think.” 

So what’s stopping you from training each day? Things in life do get in the way, and there is never enough time. 

But if not now … when? 

My suggestion: Make it a habit to practice that art you are learning each day. If you can’t get to class, then do something at home ... 

Run though a blocking set while taking a walk, do one of your combinations 25  times as slow as possible; or if it’s too nasty outside, find a quiet spot in your home, step into a horse stance, close your eyes, and do 100 front punches — slow and then fast.   

And no matter what … DO NOT go to bed until you’ve done something! 

To sum it up, I’ll leave you with thoughts from the philosopher Seneca that could apply to learning a new language, playing an instrument, and of course martial arts: