Photo courtesy of Ted Abbot
Zanshin is also about integrity - holding together despite the ease of pragma. Not slipping your standards based on your feelings. A few days ago I posted on my other blog, this remarkable poem written by Kent Keith. The poem was so inspirational that Mother Teresa posted it on her wall to help motivate her. I just realized today that one of the reasons that I like it so much is that it speaks to the Art of Love (as Morihei called aikido), including the concept of zanshin as integrity.
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.Love them anyway.If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.Do good anyway.If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.Succeed anyway.The good you do today, will be forgotten tomorrow.Do good anyway.Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.Be honest and frank anyway.The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds.Think big anyway.People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs.Fight for a few underdogs anyway.What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.Build anyway.People really need help, but may attack you if you do help them.Help people anyway.Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.Give the world the best you have anyway.
Zanshin is "anyway."
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Patrick Parker, is a Christian, husband, father, judo and aikido teacher, Program Director for a Cardiac Rehab, and a Ph.D. Contact: mokurendojo@gmail.com or phone 601.248.7282
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