My Sneaky Scheme

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Have you ever had this happen? You try to persuade someone of something, and they just won't listen. but three days later they read it in the news and it's as if they came up with the idea themselves - they tell you about their great idea. It's frustrating! But it's understandable. Sometimes we have a hard time grasping a new idea when it's presented "straight on." It's like it has to come at us from a different angle, and then we have to absorb it as our own.

I think it's like that with my practice. I have to absorb new ideas, think about them, and make them my own.

Sometimes I write about aikido and sometimes I write about music. Most of the time I think the concepts I write about relate to both, (though I don't always mention it). You may wonder, "What audience is she writing for, that practices aikido and music? That can't be more than 100 people on the planet!"

Here's my sneaky scheme: Both music and aikido are are disciplines whose practitioners struggle to balance discipline with creativity and joy; finding a way to make something that is very difficult look and feel effortless.

My hope is that someone may read a concept relating to music, and start to ponder how it relates to aikido, (or vice versa). Eventually that person will absorb it as their own idea.

Maybe I'll meet up with you one day and you'll tell me about your great idea! I would love that!

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