Waiting For The Wood

"Train like you fight. Whenever I work with the military, that's what they tell me."

When we are working towards a goal, we shouldn't take the easy way. Doing the bare minimum may get you by, but it will not set you apart. Neither does it fully prepare you for the future. I like to call it getting comfortable being uncomfortable. That is how you excel and become the best version of yourself. 

We have a saying when it comes to meditation. If you can't meditate in a boiler room, you cannot meditate. I personally love this saying. Bad conditions lead to the best traditions. As when I was training in the martial arts for so many years. My instructor would have us meditate. And during the course of our meditation, he would break a board over our heads. We would not know when it was coming, we just knew that it was. What is interesting about the process of meditating and having a board broken over your head, you literally conditioned yourself to stay within the moment. You learned to let go. 

While meditating we knew the wood was coming. Was it coming at the 2 minute mark, or was it 10 minutes down the road. What I found is that by bracing and waiting for the wood to come, there was no sense of peace. I was tight. But, as I grew in my meditation practice, I just accepted the fact that it was inevitable, so I relaxed and let it come. The only thing we could control was our response, preparation and thought process. What I learned was to not think about it at all. Not to anticipate. By doing so, there was little tension within my body. Bingo! I figured it out. 

"Get comfortable in being uncomfortable."

Without the tension, I could enjoy my meditation. Instead of me being tense for 20 minutes, the tension would last for all 30 seconds after the wood came. By being aware and accepting of the inevitable, I was able to enjoy the here and now. See what I am getting at? There are many things in life that are inevitable. Do not let them keep you from enjoying the day. Get comfortable in being uncomfortable. I cannot stress that enough. 

I know someone in my personal life who was diagnosed with lung cancer. {A very rare form.} The doctors all concurred that it would not be problematic for at least 20 years. All this person heard was cancer. They isolated and went to some very dark places. They lost their joy, and they {despite the doctors recommendations} went through a dozen or so unnecessary test due to their insistence. In addition, every sneeze, cough, ache or pain, they were convinced they were dying. It is now 18 years later and they are still here, and the lung cancer still has not presented a problem to date. 

We owe it to ourselves to free ourselves from the inevitable. In no way do I mean to minimize someone's illness. But far too many of us are conditioned to see the future and not give any regard for today. If the sun is shinning, appreciate it. When my health tanked and I was in bed for just about 4 years, yes there were some dark times. But, you can believe that if I could look up, I got up. While working with the terminal patient, they taught me how to live, as they died. Nothing was wasted. Not a chance to laugh, love or live. Pain or no pain, they made the most of what they had. Surely we can adopt this principle. 

"Life is perfect in it's imperfection." 

So why bring up train like you fight? Because life is rarely perfect. Life is perfect in it's imperfection. The right time is now. The inevitable is coming. And just like when I was meditating and knowing that the wood would come, by accepting my preparation, it wasn't as nearly as bad as I believed it to be. Being uncomfortable and accepting the inevitable, wasn't as nearly as bad as waiting for it.