We are now about to begin a new year. What will it bring? Many view this time as a fresh start and a time for making resolutions. Resolutions, either made quietly to one’s self or announced to the world, tend to promise “my life will be better”, “I will become a different person this year, better than before”, or “I’m going to stop _____and start____.” It is easy to fill in the blanks, isn’t it? Although resolutions are made with good intentions, the mere words announcing a resolution is as far as most will go. Even if only to ourselves, we have declared there needs to be a change. It is easy to say what one will do, but can one do what they say? In most cases, no real consequences are foreseen for failing to keeping a New Year’s resolution because many excuse resolutions as just thoughts, just ideas. Sadly and rarely are they ever taken seriously? It takes great self discipline and sacrifice to remain committed to a resolution. In the day of the Samurai, his word was his contract. Once a samurai said he would do something he was bound by his own word. Understand that a resolution is not just a thought or an idea, but is a contract that you have made with yourself and should not be taken lightly. If one cannot keep their word to themselves how can it be kept to another? Training in Budo gives you the resolve to face many things in life and not all of them are found in a dark alley facing a mugger. It is important to understand that you are the only adversary who can truly defeat you and, thus, facing your inner self can be a much darker place. Above all, Budo teaches self discipline and the synonym for resolution is courage. Do you have the courage to face yourself? Mahatma Ghandi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. There is no better time than now, in this New Year, to begin your journey and became that change.
In 2010 at the very beginning of this decade I wrote the piece above and sent it out to friends and family as way to provoke thought, nothing more. And interesting enough it did, I had touched a nerve, obviously something must have seemed familiar. I had a couple of friends who I had sent it to become offended by it and said that I had directed it toward them. One said that they could not make a new year’s resolution now because of what I had said, I had ruined it for them. I’m assuming it is because they knew they had no intention of keeping a promise to themselves and I had inadvertently made them aware of that fact. I guess it was much easier to blame me than to realize they had called themselves out. When I originally wrote this it was never directed at anyone nor is it now. However, you may find some truth to it and it could help in some way. If you know me you know self realization is important to me and what I teach my students. I just ask that we all look a little deeper into whom we really are. So I post it once more with nothing more than a desire to provoke thought. What you do with this is up to you however, if you feel the need to blame me it’s OK.
-Shihan Ogle
In 2010 at the very beginning of this decade I wrote the piece above and sent it out to friends and family as way to provoke thought, nothing more. And interesting enough it did, I had touched a nerve, obviously something must have seemed familiar. I had a couple of friends who I had sent it to become offended by it and said that I had directed it toward them. One said that they could not make a new year’s resolution now because of what I had said, I had ruined it for them. I’m assuming it is because they knew they had no intention of keeping a promise to themselves and I had inadvertently made them aware of that fact. I guess it was much easier to blame me than to realize they had called themselves out. When I originally wrote this it was never directed at anyone nor is it now. However, you may find some truth to it and it could help in some way. If you know me you know self realization is important to me and what I teach my students. I just ask that we all look a little deeper into whom we really are. So I post it once more with nothing more than a desire to provoke thought. What you do with this is up to you however, if you feel the need to blame me it’s OK.
-Shihan Ogle
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