And then there is DOING

Everybody knows this. Or should. 

There is doing. Doing something, active participation with a verb. Let’s use one of my favorites, indoor cycling, as the exemplar. Conversely there is active participation with said verb to the absolute highest level of your ability. There is doing and there is DOING. Full caps, italicized and bold. Living the large font at a hundred miles per hour - should you be up for a speedy non-sequitur. Anybody, I repeat, ANYBODY can sit atop a cushy bicycle seat and turn the pedals with little resistance, minimal cadence and wandering awareness. Heck, people go through their entire lives doing that. Which illustrates the point, that it isn’t simply enough to sit and spin, one must (assuming one is seeking full benefit, value and return on the time investment) be active with the energy flow. One must participate in the process and contribute to the effort. This is applicable regardless of goals, singular or plural, you in solo pursuit of your vision or you as part of something larger than yourself such as a team. 

Because the only legitimate assessment of you in either category is your output - the level of intensity, passion and positive energy that you bring to the equation. Given a high ACQ, Athletic Character Quotient, at an appropriate level of challenge (I won’t ask you to win an Olympic medal) the athlete who’s singular goal it to play to the highest level of intensity, in the flow of relaxed focus and with a hyper sense of purpose and meaning, is always welcome on my team, in my dojo, or by my side. 

In other words, much like life itself or any number of appropriate metaphorical comparisons, the winning is in the trying. Give me your best. In return, not only will I reciprocate and give it back, but I will guarantee that the answer will be a sum greater than its parts. We are algorithmically stronger, faster, safer (and more dangerous) as a team. United in common cause. 

The truth and beauty of this scenario is that we can practice it. We can commit to the discipline of volunteering to accept the challenge of doing the hard things as practice. It is our recherché of routine and rhythm. Seeking out the dedication and structure that provides us with an up-to-date assessment of our current state of enlightenment. Or the path we call the process. Moving gracefully from the then to the now. And please trust me when I confess to this being challenging. 

We have often used the mind, body, spirit trio as the three pillars stabilizing the complex idea of the superior man. United they form a single structure, strong and impenetrable. That structure is you, the optimal you, the you seen in dreams of your greatest self doing the heroic. 

Why would we choose to move through this dream at any level but our best? Because it is difficult and demanding? Because it is hard and humbling? Because it asks for your best instead of your mediocre? Because the grade you need and desire is an A and not a D? Or because your soul demands it? 

We can practice this. Structure your routine. Include the scholastic (carve out time to read), the athletic (appropriate to your current level of physical fitness) and the soulful (meditate, chant, visit the church of your choice). After a while on this noble quest you’ll see that not all verbs are created equal. 

There is doing - and then there is DOING.