Natural Balance

I studied Aikido for many years, a purely defensive martial art based on the idea that your strength in conflict is derived from your balance. Morihei Ueshiba, its founder, believed all attacks were inherently off-balance, and therefore inherently weak. I wanted to believe this, but had my doubts, having spent a couple decades fearing people who were more willing than I to use violence as a means to an end. I never got to put my Aikido skills to a real-world test, other than to realize one day that I was no longer afraid of the violence I had never personally experienced.

I think of Aikido sometimes when I hear people talking about what it means to be a strong person. We all want to be strong, but many of us feel weak, sometimes because of what our bodies can and cannot do, but more often for emotional reasons, sensing as if we are leading our lives from a foundationally imbalanced position. Live this way long enough, you begin to believe you and this position are one, and that you are just a naturally weak person the way some people are naturally athletic or musical.

Ueshiba had it right, I think, though his philosophy extended far beyond martial arts. Our weakness and strength are expressions of whether we act from fear or fearlessness. No one is naturally weak, but everyone will naturally feel fear throughout their life. The everyday challenge of being human is learning not to let fear dictate our actions. Every time we do, we feel weak and off balance. Every time we make a choice from fearlessness, we feel strong and balanced.

This is what makes writing such a great practice. All writing is fearless. You simply can’t write and be afraid. It doesn’t matter whether you write gothic romances, poetry, or memoir, you must go to that balanced, fearless place within yourself to tell your story. Go there, and you find the center of life itself, find your natural strength, which, if you spend enough time there regularly, will soon feel as natural as standing on your own two feat.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer’s Guide to the End of Self-Doubt
You can find William at: williamkenower.com