“The problem is not the problem. The problem is the incredible amount of overthinking you’re doing with the problem. Let it go and be free.”

                                                                                                      - Marcandangel

One of my favorite movies is The Last Samurai.  

In it, Civil War Captain Nathan Algren, played by Tom Cruise, finds himself as a war prisoner of the last of the mighty Samurai leaders, Katsumoto. 

Held captive for several months, Algren is assimilated into the customs, traditions and martial arts training of the warrior clan, all the while also facing and eventually overcoming his own personal...

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see" 

                                                                                          - Henry David Thoreau

It feels to me that we are currently living in a very reactive world. 

In our technological age, information comes to us at warp speed and it seems that many times our reactions, both verbally and physically, happen so fast that we are not even conscious of how we are responding. 

One may look no further than our current political environment to see this each and every day.  Regardless of what side of the spectrum you find yourself on, reaction, often of the inflamed sort, seems to be the order of the day. 

I believe...

"The more disciplined I become, the freer I am to have the life I want.  If I conduct myself in a disciplined and organized way, I have much more free time."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ...

"Move the body and the mind and spirit will follow.  Most of us have it the other way around.  I know I did for years.  I thought I always had to have it right in my mind and spirit before I DO anything adventurous .... like go for a long run, or create a successful career ... But the body can go first.  Like Emerson says, 'do the thing and you shall have the power'."                                

                                                                                                         - Steve Chandler

“I just don't feel like it.” 

...

“People who want what’s best for you, want to see you at your best.”

                                                                                          - Oprah Winfrey

I was recently watching an inspirational video on YouTube featuring Oprah Winfrey delivering a commencement speech to an auditorium of graduating college students (yes, I think Oprah is the bomb ). 

During her impassioned address, she imparted upon the graduates the words shared above,

“People who want what’s best for you, want to see you at your best.” 

Hearing these words caused me to pause, reflect upon and appreciate all of the amazing people I have had in my life who supported and encouraged me. 

 ...

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. That means developing great habits. Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments, and that bridge must be crossed every day. Over time that daily crossing becomes a habit. And ultimately, people do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future.”

                                                                                                         - John Maxwell

We are all creatures of habit. 

When we take a close look at our lives, it is usually easy to see how many of the activities we embark upon each day are...

“Success is not final.  Failure is not fatal.  It is the courage to continue that counts.”

                                                                                  - Winston Churchill

In my over four and a half decades of teaching and training in the martial arts, I have witnessed some incredible examples of students overcoming obstacles in their training and in their lives.  Injuries and illness, personal relationship challenges and financial difficulties are just a few of the difficulties I have seen my students be confronted with and overcome. 

While these instances are generally not experiences, we would intentionally ask for in our lives, they invariably are gifts as they help us to become better, stronger and more...

“Step with care and great tact, remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.”

                                                                                          - Dr. Seuss

Several years ago, I observed one of the most creative ways of making an impactful point by a professional speaker that I have ever witnessed. 

I was attending a National Speakers Association meeting in Denver and the keynote speaker was a man with a unique background.  He had started as a busker or street performer on the streets of San Francisco.  After years of entertaining audiences in the “City by the Bay”, he had now transformed into an outstanding professional speaker. 

Combining his...

“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success.  When you do a thing, do it with all your might.  Put your whole soul into it.  Stamp it with your own personality.  Be active, be energetic and faithful and you will accomplish your object.  Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

                                                                                                - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A couple of years ago, I attended a concert with my son, Jason to see one of his favorite musical artists, David Gray. 

While not being a particularly big follower of Gray before the event, I left the concert as a huge fan.  Part of that came certainly because of the...

“Solvitur Ambulando ………………..It is solved by walking.”

                                                                                        - Saint Augustine

June 1, 2022, marks my eigth anniversary of completing one of the most remarkable experiences of my life, when I walked the Camino de Santiago. 

Popularized in the United States by the movie, The Way, starring Martin Sheen, the Camino, or the Way of St. James is a 500-mile trek across northern Spain which begins in western France, ascends up into the Pyrenees mountains and then descends into Spain for the duration of the journey.

For most who embark upon this journey, it is life changing. ...