Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
slip:4a197.
Perfection →
Ocean’s Gate NJ →
Much movement later, I’m sure. …but first some “lion time”
ɕ
What the Haig?! →
So my best pal from back when we waz youngins… brought a bottle of Scotch from the 40’s. Original packaging and all. Let’s see… 70 year old Scotch… 7am run/qm… yeup, OPEN THE SCOTCH!!
ɕ
Embrace Challenge →
Not sure where this is going; no way I can reach 10,000 by the one year deadline… but I’m not quitting!
ɕ
Flowering moss →
Macro-photography of some flowering moss, from the Sarah P. Duke gardens in Durham, NC.
ɕ
§6 – I Choose To Fall! →
I’ve now read the entire book several times, and Chapter 6 never ceases to inspire!
Three thoughts:
I may not be the strongest. I may not be the fastest. But I’ll be damned if I’m not trying my hardest.
~ unknown
It ofttimes requires heroic courage to face fruitless effort, to take up the broken strands of a life-work, to look bravely toward the future, and proceed undaunted on our way. But what, to our eyes, may seem hopeless failure is often but the dawning of a greater success. It may contain in its debris the foundation material of a mighty purpose, or the revelation of new and higher possibilities.
~ Chapter 14, “Failure as a Success”, from Self Control, Its Kingship and Majesty, by William George Jordan, 1907
…
Failure is often the turning-point, the pivot of circumstance that swings us to higher levels. It may not be financial success, it may not be fame; it may be new draughts of spiritual, moral or mental inspiration that will change us for all the later years of our life. Life is not really what comes to us, but what we get from it.
The application in the Ways is to falls in life. To be able to take a disaster or a great failure, with the whole personality, without shrinking back from it, like the big smack with which the judo man hits the ground. Then to rise at once.
Not to be appalled at a moral fall. Yet it is not that it does not matter. The judo man tries by every means not to be thrown, but when he is thrown it does not hurt him and in a sense it does not matter. It matters immensely, and yet it does not matter.
‘Falling seven times, and getting up eight.’
~ “Falling”, from Zen and the Ways, by Trevor Leggett, 1978
ɕ
By example →
The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.
~ Paulo Coelho
slip:4a558.
Seriously, this again? →
Two weeks ago I started back into putting some numbers on the board. But this just-past-week I hurt my back. Tuesday I did 80 bar precisions (an easy number), but my back was feeling tired. Then Wednesday, I was really pushing it. No, actually, all I did was stand up from my desk chair. *bam* So the brunt of last week was rest, and recovery. Again. :/
On Saturday, I was feeling much better so I eased back into some normal activity. Ran for 20 minutes (with someone who is a faster runner) then did 45 minutes of QM on a tennis court — managed to go 45 minutes without standing up and with only hands and/or feet on the ground. Then I had firewood delivered about 9:30, and spent four hours of hard labor stacking it all. (I clearly don’t understand what “ease” means.)
Today, my back still feels good; it’s still recovering but on the mend.
We’re going to our regular parkour class today from 3-5. Should be beautiful weather – for heat stroke. After that, we’re heading over to the pool for some lounge time in the shade.
Monday I’ll start back into putting some numbers back up. But THIS time, I’m staying on the resistance bands longer to make sure my back is ok.
ɕ
Next up →
20 minute run, check. 45 minutes solid QM w my boy Miguel, check. Hottest day of the year, check. Two cords of firewood to stack… and GO!
ɕ
Manhattan Skyline →
Circa 2004, back when I had to take multiple photographs with my Canon camera, and then use a special piece of software to stich them together. Those were the days! …not.
ɕ