"I was reminded once again that when we hold on to something too tightly, we interrupt our ability to be maximally impactful." And, "We often intercept our potential for resonance with made-up ideas of what it means to be powerful."
What about the power in the capacity to play?
Play is often the shortest distance between excessive control and the mood required to be in free relationship with a person or a circumstance.
“Perhaps play would be more respected if we called it something like “self-motivated practice of life skills,” but that would remove the lightheartedness from it and thereby reduce its effectiveness. So we are stuck with the paradox. We must accept play’s triviality in order to realize its profundity.” Dr Peter Gray.
Fantastic piece, Leslie. I appreciate the martial arts metaphors. It reminds me of a few powerful and prototypical athletic memories I've experienced in a golf swing, a soccer kick, and a judo shoulder throw. It really is quite the epiphany to viscerally feel how powered is effectively generated through the body. I recall one martial arts instructor (boxing maybe) describing an effective punch as a "rock on a rope." Similarly, I had the opportunity to witness a weapon form called the meteor hammer (basically a solid weight connected to a string or chain) during my time in China. Inspiring stuff, Leslie.
Fantastic as usual, Leslie! Love the martial arts metaphors, and it reminds me a lesson from many other sports: relax and soften up, so that you can unleash more power. There's a good truth to be learned for life!
Beautiful article. Love this.
"I was reminded once again that when we hold on to something too tightly, we interrupt our ability to be maximally impactful." And, "We often intercept our potential for resonance with made-up ideas of what it means to be powerful."
What about the power in the capacity to play?
Play is often the shortest distance between excessive control and the mood required to be in free relationship with a person or a circumstance.
“Perhaps play would be more respected if we called it something like “self-motivated practice of life skills,” but that would remove the lightheartedness from it and thereby reduce its effectiveness. So we are stuck with the paradox. We must accept play’s triviality in order to realize its profundity.” Dr Peter Gray.
Fantastic piece, Leslie. I appreciate the martial arts metaphors. It reminds me of a few powerful and prototypical athletic memories I've experienced in a golf swing, a soccer kick, and a judo shoulder throw. It really is quite the epiphany to viscerally feel how powered is effectively generated through the body. I recall one martial arts instructor (boxing maybe) describing an effective punch as a "rock on a rope." Similarly, I had the opportunity to witness a weapon form called the meteor hammer (basically a solid weight connected to a string or chain) during my time in China. Inspiring stuff, Leslie.
Fantastic as usual, Leslie! Love the martial arts metaphors, and it reminds me a lesson from many other sports: relax and soften up, so that you can unleash more power. There's a good truth to be learned for life!