Turns out that most of me has been asleep for too long
I write every once in a while about the advantages of trying new things or doing old things in a new way. It’s not just stuff to write about, it’s actual ideas I try to have in my life for real.
Up until now, though, it’s been more of a psychological awareness — a kind of perception exercise. But now…it’s physical.
I started Tae Kwon Do training last week. I’m sore. I hurt everywhere. And it’s f***ing awesome.
How much of yourself is asleep right now?
We know by now that we can get psychologically and perceptively complacent, but we forget that even though we are awake, much of our body may not be…and we may not even know.
After only two days of Tae Kwon Do training, many things about my physical existence have become evident. The main learning is that much of my body has been asleep for a long, long time. Many of these parts are now awake and are yelling at me in the way of pain.
I consider myself active. I swim a lot, jumping jacks, pushups, etc. All of the quick, 10-minutes-in-the-morning kind of stuff. But NOWHERE in my current everyday life has there ever been a reason for me to do a shoulder-high inside crescent kick, followed by a reverse knife hand chop. NOWHERE.
Until I started Tae Kwon Do.
Slide up, high hook kick, wait… keep your leg up for 5 seconds, ok now put it down. Seems doable, but as most things are…it’s harder than it looks and sounds. Tae Kwon Do is pretty much that…everything looks and sounds easy, until you try to do it correctly, then nope.
I’m slowly waking up
And by waking up, I mean getting really sore…but yeah, kind of the same thing. I’m doing movements and using muscles I haven’t used in a loooong time. There’s a purposeful effort involved, too, that demands patience, humility, and a kind of self-honesty to make sure you’re doing each move correctly and aren’t cheating yourself.
Just this week I had to ask a 12 year-old kid for help when doing a long form. He helped and it wasn’t weird because he knew that we’re all in different phases in the process. Also, that kid’s jumping high kick was ridiculous.
Tae Kwon Do — like any new thing— is supposed to be hard. It’s supposed to hurt. You’re supposed to suck at it when you’re starting.
Initially, I joined the adult Tae Kwon Do class to get in shape and enjoy the collateral benefit of having yet one more thing in common with my two oldest boys (7 and 4) who have been training since this summer.
But now, two sessions in, I already can see how it applies to everything outside the studio — life, career, starting a business, marriage, friendships, etc.
It’s human nature to use only what you think you need, and ignore the full spectrum of capabilities that you most definitely have.
Very quickly, and inexplicably, we can go from, “I only NEED __ to do __,” to “I only HAVE __ to do __.”
Waking up all those other things you don’t use in everyday life not only reminds you that you have more and can do more, but also that you can be more.
It’s not easy. You’re going to be sore. And it’s going to be worth it.
#bewhatyoumake
