Forest Through The Trees

"Do not get caught up with the form and appearance of a challenge.
Aikido has no form – it is the study of the spirit. "

M. Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido

This quote showed up in my twitter account a day or two ago. I posted it in our dojo as a reminder to students who get too caught up in 'itemizing' all of their throws. Learning throws as 'tools' or techniques for handling attacks is essential but there is a place where we move beyond that process to 'see the forest through the trees.' Our practice evolves to where we are simply responding to energy, focusing upon connecting with the other person. Of course, to be able to respond appropriately, we need to have developed that toolbox of actions to draw upon in responding.

The same metaphor applies in so many areas of personal and professional development. We read about and study tools for communication, managing emotions, being a leader. But, always, there is a desirable place beyond this study where we are able to step back and focus more on the spirit of the person/team we are working with. At that point the quality of our relationships heightens. All those techniques/tools that we learned become simply resources that we can draw upon in strengthening our relationships. To throw out one more metaphor, a bit like a painter using his paintbox to paint a masterpiece.

Judy Warner