Image by John Hain from Pixabay
First tell yourself what kind of person you want to be, then do what you have to do. For in nearly every pursuit we see this to be the case. Those in athletic pursuit first choose the sport they want, and then do that work.”
(Epictetus, Discourses, 3.23.1-2a)
I’ve recently taken up pistol shooting. Growing up hunting, I’ve had a few decades which translates as hundreds of hours behind rifles and shotguns… but never handguns. I imagined there would be a lot, or at least SOME marksmanship skills that translated from one type of firearm to another. I imagined that some element of my decades of hand-to-hand martial arts exposure would have informed this new martial skill. I prayed that my years of mindfulness practice would spill over into the moment, giving my mind and body an edge. I hoped that my natural inclinations for physical grace and proficiency would bless me in this new endeavour.
Nope. None of the above.
I suck.
I’m not talking about just regular old sucking. I mean I really freakin’ suck (low and left, like it’s my job).
But, I don’t WANT to be the person who shoots low and left. I want to be the person who hits the intended target. I want to be as accurate as I am in any of my other martial skills (, rifle shooting, shotgunning. striking, swordsmanship, grappling, staff and spear, archery…) with this new one.
Want, however, isn’t enough. Not even close. Truthfully, ‘want’ is only the beginning.
Not only to I have to train to be accurate, but also, I need to DO the actions that get me to those training moments, in addition to DOING the training itself.
What’s this all mean outside of Rev. Badger’s weird martial pursuits?
Well, for one thing, in the study and practice of right action, if there is too much philosophizing and not enough ACTION, we’ve failed. So many of us sit on our asses thinking about what “right” means, and who gets to define “right”, and who are YOU to tell ME what’s “right” and what isn’t.
It’s about getting to work, breaking a sweat, struggling, failing with resilience, and starting again…
… until you’re the person you want to be.
(See y’all tomorrow)
Nope. None of the above.
I suck.
I’m not talking about just regular old sucking. I mean I really freakin’ suck (low and left, like it’s my job).
But, I don’t WANT to be the person who shoots low and left. I want to be the person who hits the intended target. I want to be as accurate as I am in any of my other martial skills (, rifle shooting, shotgunning. striking, swordsmanship, grappling, staff and spear, archery…) with this new one.
Want, however, isn’t enough. Not even close. Truthfully, ‘want’ is only the beginning.
Not only to I have to train to be accurate, but also, I need to DO the actions that get me to those training moments, in addition to DOING the training itself.
What’s this all mean outside of Rev. Badger’s weird martial pursuits?
Well, for one thing, in the study and practice of right action, if there is too much philosophizing and not enough ACTION, we’ve failed. So many of us sit on our asses thinking about what “right” means, and who gets to define “right”, and who are YOU to tell ME what’s “right” and what isn’t.
It’s about getting to work, breaking a sweat, struggling, failing with resilience, and starting again…
… until you’re the person you want to be.
(See y’all tomorrow)
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