The internal challenge in the dojo this week is to have one difficult conversation that you’ve been putting off. For some of you, you immediately know the conversation you need to have. For others, you may spend a minute thinking. With some light introspection you’ll realize you’ve been avoiding at least one conversation. These conversations are difficult for a reason. As with any challenge, there is wonderful growth that comes

Areté is an ancient Greek word that translates to excellence in effort, or of a thing. It refers to doing one’s best at a chosen activity, which could be a physical action. Importantly, the concept also included excellence of moral character, or virtue. So, to live a life of areté, the mind, body and soul each has to be developed. For anyone interested in exploring the concepts of areté, Brian Johnson

The question of the week is: Do I search for purpose and meaning, or does it find me? This hints at our experience of finding purpose and meaning in life. For many of us it seems like a long journey, perhaps even one without an end. It may feel like we will search for a purpose forever. For others, especially if we have already found our purpose, it may feel effortless.

The question of the week in the dojo is, “What is the secret to inner strength?” This got me thinking about a few things. For one, the breath. Whether you’re doing specific energy work like Qigong and Tai Chi, breathing exercises to relax or feel energized, trying to get more power in your strikes in Kung Fu or stay calm and flow in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the breath is key.

Pressure often shows up at tournaments. This weekend in the dojo we had our first kids grappling tournament since Covid. It was a great afternoon with lots of close matches. In the end, each division could only have one winner. As we entered the final rounds to see who would get the gold medal, the competition began to heat up. When the students felt the pressure to perform and win,