{"id":2843,"date":"2019-12-19T20:50:05","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T20:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/?p=2843"},"modified":"2021-09-19T16:23:45","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T16:23:45","slug":"daily-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/daily-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily practice: Sharpening the sword"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you do hard things even when you don\u2019t want to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or do you give in to feelings, flights of fancy and momentary urges? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when we have a life plan in place for achieving our goals, on any given day, the struggle is real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conscientiously working through your to-do list can seem pointless in comparison to kicking back and watching TV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But after succumbing to transient pleasures the guilt steadily builds. Another wasted day that could have been put to better use, you think.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, why is taking positive action so hard? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mainly because of our distorted view of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, on any day, the actions we perform don\u2019t amount to much.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re not world-changing and generally don\u2019t produce immediate results. Especially the actions that are good for us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, you won\u2019t experience the added life longevity today when you go for that run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That reward, like so many others, is delayed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the activity is essential nonetheless. When we don\u2019t work out, we slowly slip down the slide of physical and mental ruin.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often engaging in these activities feels like running up an escalator the wrong way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much effort is needed just to stay where you are, but when you stop trying, you regress pretty quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, aside from remaining conscious about the prism of time, what else can we do when the urge for instant gratification arises? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharpen the sword<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On the days where I just don\u2019t feel like it, in those throwaway moments of weakness, I like to imagine a Japanese Samurai sharpening his sword.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every day he works the blade, lest he need it unexpectedly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though times are peaceful, the village must be defended from threats.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is of course, an analogy to life. At any given moment, we can be assaulted by hardship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People lose their jobs, homes and loved ones constantly.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putting effort into the coping strategies we\u2019ll come to rely on, ahead of time, can therefore serve us well.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this way, the exercise and meditation you do today go a long way in inoculating you against the trials and tribulations of tomorrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that\u2019s not the only benefit of sharpening the sword.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Honing your skills also allows you to slowly cut away whatever stands between you and your goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether that\u2019s writing a book or creating a business, sharpening your abilities allows you to master each component of the task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working with a razor edge allows you to make significantly more progress through the jungle of ambition on any given day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the going will undoubtedly be tough, maintaining your tools through consistent practice is fundamental to success.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how often must we work the blade? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The daily practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sharpening your sword is a daily exercise.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miss one day and it won\u2019t matter, but miss too many and you become blunt, unready for the challenges that await.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this way, sword sharpening becomes its own meditation, a way to create subconscious patterns of pure instinct. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your daily activities become a ritual of honing the metaphorical weapon of mind and body.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this way, you slowly emerge, chrysalis like, as the peaceful warrior, ready to face any challenge.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey employs a similar metaphor, called Sharpen the Saw, but this applies more to self-care than the general approach of keeping yourself sharp in all areas.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We must never become too busy sawing to take time to sharpen the saw.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If anything, I regard Sharpening the Sword more akin to Greasing the Groove, which is a fitness technique used to incrementally gain strength through improving neuromuscular efficiency.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, the analogy you use doesn\u2019t matter, as long as it works for you. Daily practice makes perfect.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you do hard things even when you don\u2019t want to?<\/p>\n

Or do you give in to feelings, flights of fancy and momentary urges?<\/p>\n

Even when we have a life plan in place for achieving our goals, on any given day, the struggle is real.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2845,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nDaily practice: Sharpening the sword | Bloomsoup<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Know the importance of daily practice, but struggle to stay consistent? You're not alone. 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