小の虫を殺して大の虫を生かす
Shonomushi wo koroshite dainomushi wo ikasu
To sacrifice something small to save something large
Many people who start a martial art quit within the first month and only a few become steady regulars. The high attrition rate could be due to how people perceive the process. When experts talk about change, they often use words like suffering, pain, “embracing the suck” or sacrifice. I think the words are getting in the way and can create an unconscious negative feeling before we even start. It is only natural that we avert ourselves from negativity and avoid suffering. Realistically, are we really suffering? Is it really painful? Is it really a “sacrifice?” A sacrifice is “The act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy.” Dissecting the definition, we can see that sacrifice is really about the act of choosing and success is nothing more than a series of choices. If we want to get good at Aikido, we have to go to the dojo and stop watching TV. But, do we really love TV and is it really a sacrifice? Choice is about being mindful about what it is we want. We all know that watching too much TV can be bad for us, but we do it mostly unconsciously. What we are really choosing to give up is mindlessness because the things that we are giving up aren’t really of value to us and so technically it is not a “sacrifice.” Thinking in terms of martial arts training, people stay because they find some value in it whether it is social, physical or mental and so for them it would be a sacrifice to not train. Likewise, when we bow, this small gesture leads to great results in our relationships with others and in our own self-development as well. Sometimes, I think people who achieve have a way of romanticizing their process and can’t just say, “Chose to put in the work.” The only thing of value we have is our lives and we should reserve sacrificing it for something meaningful. Giving up small things that we don’t want isn’t really a sacrifice, but we are sacrificing if we don’t do the things that we want.
Today’s goal: Analyze your vocabulary and see if you regularly use some self-defeating words like “sacrifice” which could be holding you back.