The other morning at breakfast, my wife said this little throw away comment.
She said, “You know I find that when you eat slowly whatever you have is plenty.”
I didn’t think much of it at the moment. But it came to my mind again while I walked to the gym to train.
“When you eat slowly whatever you have is plenty.”
Is this not true for our whole lives?
When we slow down and live more mindfully, putting an end to all the ceaseless craving, wanting and chasing, we can realize that whatever we have, right here, right now, is plenty. And in keeping our lives simple and straightforward we can be happier and more free.
When we make our lives more complicated, with all the doing, with all the many possessions, life becomes more burdensome. We spend all our time working and chasing the dollar to keep it all going. Life feels less simple and we find ourselves more stressed and live less mindfully.
I look at it like I look at the art of Ving Tsun. It’s a simple art and should be kept that way. You do only what’s necessary in terms of offense and defense. You economize everything. Your motion, your energy, your time, your footwork, everything. You do just enough to get the job done. No more, no less.
As the years pass in your training, you should be trying to make your Ving Tsun more and more simple. Not more and more complex. If you are making it more complex you are doing it wrong.
This is true in our lives as well. As we get older we should be making it more and more simple. Not filling it up with things that make it more and more complex. Things that make us have to run around and keep the juggling act going. We should have and do just what’s necessary. Have and do just enough. Realize that whatever you have is plenty.
When you put this simple Ving Tsun philosophy into your daily life you will be able to get down to what really matters to you. Whatever that might be for you.
In Ving Tsun we have a very simple formula that tells us how to use the system. A formula that teaches us simplicity.
Try to bring this formula into your daily life and see that what you have already is plenty.
Three simple rules:
- Accept what comes
- Follow what goes
- When the way is open always go forward.
Matt Johnson Ving Tsun/Chicago 