Stay on the Mat.

“The master,” an old martial arts saying goes, “is the one who stays on the mat five minutes longer every day than anybody else.”

Stay on the Mat is a metaphor for deliberate practice, the pursuit of sustained excellence, commitment to training and pushing through the roller coaster on the path to mastery. It is often said that we get rewarded publicly for what we diligently practice in the dark. We stay on the mat practicing, honing the skillsets that the marketplace always rewards. We play the way we train; if you cannot practice it in the dark, it will be hard to perform when the lights are on. One of the hallmarks of the highly successful people in the world is their obsession with deliberate practice, commitment to the game and persistence in the face of obstacles. As boxing heavyweight champion of the world, Joe Frazier once noted:

“You can map out a fight plan or a life plan, but when the action starts, it may not go the way you planned, and you’re down to your reflexes – that means your [preparation:]. That’s where your roadwork shows. If you cheated on that in the dark of the morning, well, you’re going to get found out now, under the bright lights.”

By stat on the mat while no one is watching, you will perform effortlessly when everyone is watching. You must trust the process by putting in the reps, miles, laps, sessions and persist through the hardship. American author and motivational speaker Les Brown is fond of saying, “Do what is easy, and your life will be hard. “Do what is easy, and your life will be hard. Do what is hard, and your life will become easy.” Sitting on the mat is not easy; following through requires self-discipline and consistency. Meditating, training for a marathon, reading a book, engaging in deep work, learning a new skill or writing require commitment and staying power to get the desired result.

“If there is any sure route to success and fulfillment in life, it is to be found in the long-term, essentially goalless process of mastery.”

Leonard has practiced Aikido since 1970 and has taught it regularly since 1976. With its sophisticated blending moves and complete repertory of rolls and falls, aikido is generally known as the most difficult martial art to master.

“On the training mat, every attempt at circumvention or overreaching is revealed; flaws are made manifest; the quick fix is impossible. At the same time, the pleasures of practice are intensified.”

The mat is the world, but it is the world under a magnifying glass. An Aikido school is, therefore, an ideal laboratory for studying the factors that work for and against long-term learning.

Meditations

Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt – The Whole Truth

The Parable of the blind men and an Elephant is a story about a group of blind men who have never encountered an elephant before and who learn and imagine what it is like by touching it. Each blind man feels a different part of the animal’s body, but only one part, such as the side or the tusk. They then describe the animal based on their limited experience, and their descriptions of the elephant are different from each other.

The moral of the parable is that humans have a tendency to claim absolute truth based on their limited, subjective experience while ignoring other people’s limited, subjective experiences, which may be equally true.

We make assumptions about the whole based on just one of its parts. We judge people based solely on their age, appearance, or career. Our perspectives have limits. In order to discover anything close to the whole truth, we must strive to consider as many different perspectives as we can.

Daily Jay with Jay Shetty – Be the Light

When things feel hopeless, we search for the light in the world. We look for the light at the end of the tunnel; we light the candle to dispel the darkness. How we walk through the world can spread through vibes. We can be agents of compassion or consideration. We can exhibit a generosity of spirit.

Daily Trip with Jeff Warren -Geological you

Podcast