"Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success." - Swami Sivananda
At times like this—milestones in the calendar that cause us to collectively pause and reflect on our respective journeys—it’s the big things that tend to draw our thoughts. Most of our mental snapshots of the year past will be of major events experienced, and as we try to look forward in time through the fog of uncertainty, it’s the biggest landmarks that draw our attention. But for as much of our attention as major moments and big goals tend to occupy our attention, they in fact occupy very little of the time that makes up our lives.
I hope your 2018 is filled with many peaks that give you a breathtaking view of all that’s good in our world. And I wish you strength and hope and dignity as you cross any valleys your journey takes you through. Most of all, I pray that we all have the wisdom to remember that every mountain is summited, and every valley put behind us, a single stride at a time, and that we have the mindfulness to invest ourselves in each and every step.
Martial artists set and achieve some big goals: growth of body, mind and spirit in order to be the strongest and most at-peace person they can be. But they know that this transformation comes one kick, one punch, one push-up, one form, one challenge at a time. Entering this New Year, let’s endeavor as always to live our lives like that outside the Dojo as well. It’s by investing mind, body and spirit fully in every moment and every act—no matter how small—that will have us reflecting in twelve months on a 2018 well lived.