More than 2,000 years ago a Latin Author -maybe Cicero- stated that “you have to choose who you want to love” (deligere oportet quem velis diligere). This statement came to my mind as we finished an intense and inspiring Aikido seminar held by Miles Kessler Sensei, hosted in Boves, Italy in the community of Aiki no Kokoro.
The seminar ended with a moment in which the participants shared their thoughts, answering the question: “What do you love in Aikido?”
Actually, this question could be rephrased, replacing every kind of term which defines a situation, a relationship, something relevant in our lives.
The internet is plenty of “motivational stuff” that can be found posted and re-posted again in the social networks. Statements that sound like “do what you love and love what you do” or something like that. Statements and posts which often reflect something more related to a way to be assertive than a tool that can change the perspective on life.
Yes, we are good at choosing the “guru-of-the-day”; we are quite sincere when we are moved and touched by speeches as Steve Jobs’ ones, yet, reality says we’re very often tied to our habits, unsatisfied with our relationships, jobs and so on.
If only we could, more than occasionally, sincerely ask ourselves “What do we love in…”, being not afraid to discover the answers, acting in a coherent way according to them… Maybe we could really love what we do and live.
Of course, that would mean that we not only perceive what love is for us, but also we understand its nature and, after that, this would lead to a choice: an active choice of what we want to love in our lives.
This could require a whole life to be found and maybe could be sometimes painful, but for sure this can be truer than being locked in a cage with no escape even if we hold the key.
Disclaimer: Photo ourtesy of: Aiki No Kokoro