Horizons

I feel I've learned this year through teaching and my own practice that what we do has to be a state of mind, not just physical skill. You have to flip a switch if you want to get everything you can out of this and that switch affects everything you do. If, for instance, you don't put your full potential into your form you'll miss so much it has to offer. If you don't put any effort into your sound focus how can you expect your body to not follow suit and still give its potential? Each time you go half way it means you left half on the table and said to yourself, thats good enough. You robbed yourself of a chance to progress. If you perpetually flip that switch then it becomes mindless, effortless effort as it's been defined, and putting your full energy into everything becomes easy and normal. And then your potential grows.

I think this is what the IHC has taught me. Reaching your potential doesn't have to be a painful, mind numbing experience. Of course it takes hard work, but if you dedicate yourself to the pursuit then the work becomes easy, and with a little mindful maintenance your frame of mind supports the physical aspects. I'm still working on this.

I don't see that I'll ever reach my potential, not as long as I keep trying to advance. It's like the horizon, it always moves further ahead the closer I get. I need to accept this but I still need to try.