Cornerstone for Change

Why do we continue to engage in activities that are destroying our way of life and ultimately our planet? Modern society has placed more value on economics than life itself. We continue to justify ecological genocide and war in the name of quality of life. Unfortunately the quality of life ideal we continue to strive for is incompatible with the long term survival of the very planet that gives us life.

Our world is filled with problems and yet at the same time, great potential. It becomes quite overwhelming when one considers the sheer magnitude of all the problems created by our species. I believe that this overwhelming impression is what prevents so many from acknowledging their ability to impact the situation. What is important is the ability to compartmentalize and use selective attention as your coping strategy. You have to take in enough information to fully understand a problem but not so much that you cave in under all the pressure. If we break the problems down and focus on what we can do as individuals, change begins. It has been said that things we do as individuals matter but things we do that others see, matter even more. Several individuals working on the same problem become a group. Several groups becomes a movement. A movement initiates global change.

With all the problems facing our world today, I feel the cornerstone issue is the environment. We have completely lost our way and disassociated ourselves from what is truly important. Our basic needs for survival have been taken care of for so long - food, water, air, clothing, and shelter - that we have forgotten how important they truly are. Now, in the name of materialism, we are destroying the earth’s ability to continue to provide us with these basic needs. Not only are we attacking our own ecosystem in this pursuit but we are also attacking our fellow man. We have lost our ability to empathize and relate with one another. We continue to choose to take care of our own personal immediate wants without seeing how everything, and I do mean everything, is interconnected.

I believe by acknowledging our place in the ecosystem of the planet, we will begin to once again understand our place in the world. We are not lord and master with the right to rule over it all. We are an integral part of our own ecosystem and as such we are dependent upon the balance and support of other species to ensure our long term survival.

Now if we can begin to empathize with a micro-organism and understand how we are dependent upon it for our own survival, can our ability to empathize with our fellow man be far behind? If we make the environment our priority, our overall empathy will develop to a point where the catastrophic global problems created by mankind will begin to be resolved.

"There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed."
- Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

Random Acts of Kindness

Once again it snowed last night. And once again I am reminded of the symbolic cleansing a fresh batch of snow conveys upon one’s psyche. The ground is completely pure without blemish and full of potential. Once those first tracks are laid upon its surface, the die has been cast and there is no going back - it is changed forever.

Our personal interactions have the exact same effect upon the earth. Each day begins rife with potential - both good or bad. How we engage our fellow man, even at the most mundane levels, has a profound effect on the planet as a whole. If a butterfly flapping it’s wings off the coast of Africa can spark a hurricane in the Caribbean, imagine what awesome potential a single mindful action initiates.

There is a worldwide movement that touts the value of kindness. Imagine a world where every citizen makes it their habit to perform an act of kindness every day. Why only a single act of kindness, why not a dozen every day?

There is young man from southern California who is trying to make a difference by logging one million acts of kindness by his country’s youth (http://www.onemillionaok.com). Despite having extremely limited financial resources, Brian Williams is indeed making a huge difference in our world. What I really like about Brian, and where I believe many of my students can learn from him, is that he holds himself 100% accountable for achieving his goals. He only sees challenges in front of him, not obstacles. I am so impressed with his drive and determination that despite never having personally met him, this week we shipped out our school’s digital video camera to Brian so that he can document his project with a video diary. Our hope is that this chronicle may inspire others to eliminate their indifference and step up and become accountable for global change.

An ambitious benevolent project initiated by an individual in one country supported by the mindful action of a group in another country - suddenly the prospect of being able to make a difference doesn’t seem so intimidating.

"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness."
- Seneca (4BC - 65AD)

The Power of One

So I’ve been thinking. How does one, a single person, make a difference?

The world my parents grew up in was vast. Everyone was separated and in essence, segregated by distance. This distance served as a buffer that shielded everyone from each other. The emphasis was on family and taking care of your own. With radio and newspapers being the only form of global communication, one’s empathy for the plight of other’s on the other side of the world was modulated by their own imagination. The ability of a single person in rural Alberta to empathize with and shake the tree of someone in urban Europe seemed to be improbable.

The world my children have grown up in is considerably smaller. With television and the internet comes instant and graphic communication. No longer are we shielded by the limits of our imagination and the censorship of governments. Everything is exposed for our viewing. From Suddam Hussein’s execution to ethnic cleansing in Darfur, empathy is forced upon us to such a degree that one can become overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness and impotency. In a world so small rife with such massive problems, how can a single act by a single person begin to help heal the planet?

So here we have two different generations at two extremes, but both with the prevailing feeling of powerlessness. No matter who you are or where you come from, three steps to empowerment must be completed in order for you to make a difference.

Step 1 - Personal Enlightenment and Self-Realization.
Before one can begin to address the issues of the world, one must first begin with understanding their own self. We spend such an inordinate amount of time showing the world what we think it wants to see that in the process we sometimes buy into our own hype. We all have limitations and faults but if we are not acknowledging them we are setting ourselves up for a life of constant disappointments and failures. In order to achieve our goals, we must first understand what our strengths and weaknesses are so that we can put in place everything we need to assure success. This is why earning a black belt is so difficult. Most of us underestimate our limitations and do not do the basics required to overcome them. We just keep banging ahead, getting frustrated at our lack of progress until we give up. If we were able to see all our flaws clearly, the path to success would be just as clear. Once this personal enlightenment is achieved, our place in the grand scheme of things becomes more clear. We can now use our strengths - our real strengths, to influence change.

Step 2 - Empathy.
The power of passion cannot be released without empathy. It is impossible to not want to take action if one is experiencing an unthinkable horror. It is just as impossible to not want to take action if one is experiencing an unthinkable horror through another’s eyes. We must stop disassociating ourselves from the atrocities we see everyday. Whether it is ecological apathy in our own country or wide-spread genocide in Africa, these are issues we cannot and should not ignore. Morally corrupt governments rely upon the public’s apathy to maintain power. If we all take a stand for what we believe in, no matter our location in relation to the issue, it is no longer just one person standing. It is now a global movement and change becomes imminent.

Step 3 - Accountability.
All the enlightenment and empathy in the world will not amount to anything if there is no accountability. It is not good enough to just understand ourselves and the plight of those around us. In order to make a real difference, there must be accountability for that change to happen. Each and every one of us must be held accountable to live our lives according to our ideals and make decisions in every moment of every day that correspond to these ideals. Rather than looking for some sort of initiative to be taken by our leaders, we can force our leaders to take initiative on our behalf by holding ourselves accountable and taking consistent action.

If each and every one of us were to apply the black belt success cycle to every aspect of our lives, including our passions, amazing things would happen for our planet.

Black Belt Success Cycle
1 - Set a goal.
2 - Have a plan and a success coach.
3 - Take consistent action.
4 - Review your progress.
5 - Review your goals.

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."
- Andy Warhol (1928-1987)

Ground Zero

It seems somewhat appropriate that it snowed last night. The first snow of the season always feels like a new beginning, a clean slate. Today is day one, ground zero in what I hope will signal the beginning of the devolution of the martial arts. That’s right, the devolution. It’s time to get back to the basics and contemplate what value we bring to society. At the end of the day it isn’t the perfection of our skill that is making the difference, it is the self realization and understanding that emerges from the challenge of the journey.

Yes, we can change the world. In fact, the state of the world is Canada’s responsibility. Absolutely, it is we Canadian’s responsibility. In many countries, the consequence of asking a question can cost you your life. Canadians live in the freest country in the world where we can ask questions and demand accountability. If every Canadian began demanding answers and accountability, the world would listen. Part of our social consciousness paralysis, our inability to take action, stems from the prevailing assumption that with a problem of any magnitude, one alone cannot make a difference. This assumption is convenient and an excuse for mediocrity. It is not only our right but our duty to overcome our inertia and take action. No one seems to have an issue with holding someone accountable for their actions but is it not time we became accountable for our inactions?

I have always tried to keep my personal political and ideological viewpoints to myself and out of the kwoon. I think I was concerned that if I dared to express my opinions I would polarize my students and perhaps lose my ability to influence some of them in the future. I am careful to treat the power and influence that kung fu has given me with respect and a sense of great responsibility. I believe that ideological shifts are better generated through influence of example as opposed to the imposition of will.

I now find myself living in a world dominated by ideological conflicts of which there can be no resolution. I have seen the roots of deep seeded hate spread by short sighted foreign policies that are going to ensure this hate will be passed down from father to son, mother to daughter for many generations to come. I live in a world where the actions of my country today may spawn a conflict for my distant descendants long after me and my children have left this world. My ability to change the world is embedded within my willingness to take action and become personally responsible for influencing and inspiring those around me to include tolerance and understanding as their most treasured values.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."
- James Neil Hollingworth (1933 - 1996)