We have discussed the idea of spending time wisely before and as Autumn gets into full swing, it is important to rehash a couple of those concepts. Many traditions, including certain kung fu schools, believe that a person’s life goes through many stages that parallel the seasons. Therefore, they based their philosophies on that cycle of life. Spring is our early years, when we are full of energy and boundless wonder and growth. Summer is where we spend most of our lives, we are still growing, but we have set a path for ourselves and are following it. Autumn is the time in our lives where we start to evaluate what is most important to us. While in Spring and Summer we have many adventures and try many things, in our Autumn years, we start shedding the things that are no longer important to us and focus on what matters. While there is still growth occurring, we also know that our time is more precious. Winter is the beginning of our twilight years. We have trimmed all we can and we can spend the rest of our lives enjoying what is most important while preparing for our next journey, whatever that may be.
When we look into the season of Autumn, really think about what is most important to you. You can also do this each day. You have probably heard the question: if you got $86,400 every day, but you have to spend it and you can’t save it until the next day, what would you do with it? Those dollars translate to the number of seconds you get in one entire day. Granted, on average we lose about $25,200 of that to sleep tax, but that still leaves us with $61,200 to spend. Most adults spend $30,600 at work five of those days (or more!) and children spend about $23,400 of it at school. These are both very important things, but then you are left with about a third of what you started with. This is about $28,800. Now how would you spend it?
Consider this each day and perhaps make adjustments when necessary. Doing something to keep yourself healthy and strong is never a waste of time, as many a person’s regrets will tell you. Kung fu practice, even spending $600 of your daily allotment, is worth the investment in getting the most out of your future amounts. Until next time, keep practicing and we will see you in class!
Head Instructor Shawn Morris