Say Yes

Words. The power in them. The way we use them, string them together into sentences. Always in the attempt to manufacture some type of consent. 

As a musician I am more interested in melody, rhythm and style than lyrical content. But as a poet I see the story first and the accompaniment as embellishment. As a teacher I want them to be efficient and important, and as student I want them all. Everything and all the time. Hit me with your best metaphor. 

We all know how wonderful a successful conversation can be, as well its opposite, the jarring, unsettling and frustrating stammering of misunderstood abstracts. Or the blatant lie. All words, inanimate and unemotional. Like a rock formation at the top of the grade waiting and wanting to be understood. 

I am continually amazed at how one word can change the entire dialogue. Consider how one misplaced adjective, a coarse half-truth, an unwittingly passed along cliche, an out of place vulgarity, a slur, a gossipy suggestion, slander, can have the power to incite. Or to confuse, distract or condemn. Conversely, consider the crackle of consciousness when the perfect word for the occasion is used at the perfect moment to convey the perfect emotion. Ahhh, music not only to the ears but to the soul as well. Telling the truth is like that. And yes, sometimes the truth does hurt, but only when we have denied ourselves the reality of it. It may very well be a shocking moment when a flatlander learns that the world is round. Or that your hero has flaws. Or when your leader is found corrupt. 

I have an incredible opportunity every time we saddle up to ride. I am the squadron leader, the guy with the headset having access to the equalizer and volume controls. It is my protocol and my music. It is also my narrative. Along with the workout instructions and various cues, I get to talk about whatever I feel appropriate to fill the hour long sessions with commentary. Certainly motivational, inspirational and supportive comments are standard, but, for better or for worse, I choose to take another step in the direction of the experimental. And so I get ‘out there’ a bit. There are stories, anecdotes and analysis. I have dissected everything from the harmony structure of The Beatles ’Things We Said Today’, to what a hyperbolic paraboloid looks like. From the sagacity of DD Eisenhower to the modern day military industrial complexity and our current and corrupt misuse of it. From religious fanaticism to zen. From GMOs to USBs. Nothing is sacred once we begin to spin. 

And I take great pleasure in the theme, its flow and ebb, and of course in its connection to the task at hand: PUSHING OUR TOTAL BEINGS IN THE DIRECTION OF GROWTH. 

You simply cannot do one of the three and expect success. A strong body without a serene mind and a calm heart, is a machine. A weak body as vehicle without an alert driver and compassionate navigator will crash. The soul is always searching for connection to the body and mind, as a way to unite them as a powerful and utilitarian trio. 

Mindless work and disconnected or apathetic exercise is missing the opportunity for this practice. If your head is not in it, or your body unwilling, your spirit will patiently wait around until your are ready. Until you decide that the true reason for this critical practice is to grow into the state of on-demand readiness known as Enlightenment. Only available, of course, when all three components, the mind (in focus), the body (in dynamic flow) and the spirit (in harmony) are working seamlessly together, as one. 

There are many paths that lead to this state. Just as there are many words that describe it. Some insist that not only can you NOT talk about it, but no map points to it. No one will whisper in your ear its secret and no Garmin device will provide coordinates. 

Yet we all know it exists. And we all want to find it. It is it. Where its at. 

There is magic in the process folks, magic along the path. Every day, every session and every exchange. We use the formality of a classroom to stimulate the body in the hopes that a chemical chain reaction will carry oxygenated blood to the brain and open the neuro passageways that lead to the soul. Mountain climbers, river rafters, sky divers, wind surfers and triathletes all know the power of words. The 'wow' moments we all seek out and celebrate. The search for the feeling of being alive, awake and appreciative. Epicness in action. 

There is power in words yes, but even more power in the silence that surrounds them. 

You can say yes a thousand times but it is not until you put the positive into motion that your power turns from knowledge to wisdom, from knowing to doing. 

Say yes and do yes.