Will Doesn't Have to Be Struggle

Dr Tae Yun Kim is a martial artist, an author, a speaker and much more. Here is an excerpt from her book, The Silent Master.

How much time we waste in fretting over our mistakes! All this does is keep us dwelling on the past, and this brings the unwanted past into the present.

How important it is, then, when you're ready to pursue your Silent Master consciousness, to let go of your mistakes, and use your will to focus on a new direction. Look at your mistakes, see what you learned, but then let them go.

Will Doesn't Have to Be Struggle

You may have to persist when you are trying to hold onto an idea or a goal you wish to manifest. But persistence doesn't necessarily involve a struggle. The exercise of will should be a calm, persistent focus that doesn't allow a feeling of resistance. The exercise of will should not have to be a battle.

If you feel a struggle when you exert your will, there may be old habits or false beliefs that you need to let go of. The sense of struggling to hold an idea is a signal to you that you are simultaneously holding an equal, opposite idea about what you want to manifest and that's why you feel the struggle. When the energy of two equal and opposing ideas are given the same attention, you will naturally feel a conflict.

Be willing to make mistakes

Dr Tae Yun Kim is a martial artist, an author, a speaker and much more. Here is an excerpt from her book, The Silent Master.

When I say be willing to make mistakes, I mean let your mistake lead you into new understandings and new actions. As long as you're making different mistakes, you can be sure you're on a path of learning. It's a natural part of the process. Of course, you don't want to keep repeating the same mistakes. If that happens, it's a signal you're not learning from the mistake the way you should.
All that you judge to be a mistake in your life is nothing more and nothing less than an event which teaches you something. Unfortunately, we usually label our mistakes as bad things that happen, as opposed to good things that happen. But judgments of good and bad are unnecessary. “Whatever you call a mistake is really just neutral feedback about the result of a certain direction you've taken. Whether an event or a direction is judged to be good or bad is probably beyond your perception at the moment. To illustrate what I mean, consider the following scenario.

Suppose you're laid off from your job. Bad? But then someone offers you a new job that pays more money. Good? But then you find at this new job you work for a tyrannical boss. Bad? But then this boss retires and turns the business over to you. Good? But then the building catches fire and burns down. Bad? But then you collect insurance money that lets you start the business you always wanted. Good? But then...but then...Life in this material dimension will always be a succession of "but thens."

In this example, you can see how all the events taken by themselves are neither good nor bad even though you may judge them so. They are simply a series of events leading in a certain direction, and all judgments of good or bad are totally irrelevant in the long run. Losing your job in the beginning was “not a mistake because it ultimately opened you to the business you always wanted.

Regard Mistakes as Teachers, Not Judges

Dr Tae Yun Kim is a martial artist, an author, a speaker and much more. Here is an excerpt from her book, The Silent Master.

Regard Mistakes as Teachers, Not Judges

You can also use your will power to employ the second rule of mental conduct: Learn from your mistakes.

So often, when we do something that we believe is a mistake, we become fatalistic and give up our efforts. Instead of focusing on a new direction right away, we tend to sit around in gloom and doom criticizing ourselves. In this instance, we're using mistakes as excuses not to face up to fears and weaknesses. 

Rather than allowing your mistakes to be reasons for continuing failure, allow your mistakes to be used as learning feedback. In fact, mistakes are as real, valid, and viable as successes when you're growing and learning.

You make mistakes any time you do something new. If you already knew how to do something without making mistakes, it wouldn't be new! It would already be a habit. So let mistakes be friendly teachers, the fertilizer for growth.

"I Can" or "I Can't" - The Choice is Yours

Dr Tae Yun Kim is a martial artist, an author, a speaker and much more.  Here is an excerpt from her book, The Silent Master.

(Continued from the previous post...)

On and on he went with only one thought in his mind: the safety of the child. Nothing else mattered, not fear, weariness, hunger. On and on he ran 'til in the distance he could see his friends still moving quickly. He was so close, only a little further to go to reach them.Before long, he caught them, stumbling into their midst with the precious baby, gasping for breath. The others were amazed at this feat and wondered where he had found the strength to run with the child and catch them. But they could see his face was filled with a resoluteness and determination they hadn't seen before.
Gently, he handed the child to the mother who took back the little body lovingly. Her heart was filled with joy, both for her child and for the old man. Together they continued onward, away from the enemy until they were safe and secure. 

 In this story, the old man found that he created two different paths based on two different choices.
"I can't" made him fall by the wayside convinced that his life was at an end, and so it would have been.

"I can" enabled him to get up, find strength available within himself, and run to victory.

Both were real and valid possibilities. What made the difference between these two choices? We might say this woman did what a good teacher does. She gave the man an opportunity to discover and demonstrate the strength he had inside. Then the old man did his part. He used his will to conquer his weakness and defeatism. He did find the strength within to carry out his mission. He chose how to respond to the opportunity, and used his will to choose victory over defeat.

Although this story shows how a particular situation can be an opportunity to overcome limitation, true and lasting change requires effort that goes beyond just one situation. One victory doesn't solve every problem. To create lasting change, one victory must lead to new ways of thinking and acting.

Realize That "I Can't" Usually Means "I Won't"

Dr Tae Yun Kim is a martial artist, an author, a speaker and much more.  Here is an excerpt from her book, The Silent Master.

Realize That "I Can't" Usually Means "I Won't"

All of us, at some time or another, have felt the limiting power of "I can't." Even when we really want something, and even if that something is within our power, those two simple words can prevent it from happening. When you find yourself saying "I can't" look deeper to see if you're making another excuse. If you look honestly, you will usually find that your words, "I can't" actually mean "I could, but I won't for this or that reason." For instance, "I can't do well in school" might easily mean, "I could do well in school, but I won't put in the time and effort to study." When you become willing to say "I can," you find the power to carry it out from your Silent Master within. 

 Here's a story of an Old Man and a Baby that illustrates what I mean.

During a war, a group of people were fleeing from the enemy. Among them was an old man and a woman with a baby. For many days they ran and hid, always with the enemy close behind and danger from every corner.

As they ran, others in the group helped the mother carry the baby, except for the old man who was already very weak.

After a few days the old man was so tired he just couldn't go on. He fell by the side of the road and lay there breathless.

The others stopped to help, but he urged them on, asking them to just leave him there. He had given up all will to live, all desire for life or the future.

The enemy was fast approaching, so the others were anxious to move on. The woman with baby then looked down at the old man and said, "It's your turn. Everyone else has helped carry the baby. Now it's your turn. You must fulfill your responsibility."

To Be Continued...