It’s amazing how many people have responded to my entry from Wednesday about losing and winning and reasons for doing wushu. I guess I struck a common nerve within the wushu community.
I suppose there are multiple reasons for the response. One being the dischord among the USAWKF higher-ups. I wish that the powers-that-be could really resolve whatever conflicts they have so that the sport of wushu (and the athletes that devote so much time to this sport) can have an organization able to represent such an awe-inspiring art form.
I’m obviously not privy to the full details of the conflict, but from an outsider’s point of view it seems silly. (I guess any conflict from an outsider’s point of view seems silly.) In the words of Rodney King “Can’t we all just get along?”, and in the words of me “I sure hope so”.
The other reason might be some of the personal biases or feelings that some competitors have for other ones. Does it seem like too many people are focusing on too many other people and not enough on making sure that they are just trying to be the best people they can be?
Hmm … am I being a hypocrite by talking about what other people might be thinking or feeling? I don’t know. But in any case I wish that people could focus more on their own internal development than on the development (or lack thereof) in their fellow wushu cousins.
I guess this relates to my own personal views on back-biting and rumor-milling. I’m not saying I’m perfect and never discuss anyone when they’re not around, but I’ll tell you what … I’ll try my hardest to keep my negative back-biting to a bare minimum if you all can do the same.
I think the best way we can overcome some of the negativity going around is if we all make a concerted effort to not promote it. So what if so-and-so is doing such-and-such? Discuss it with them if it bothers you … in an open, understanding and patient way … because spreading the news around to everyone and their uncle doesn’t help.
Okay .. this is probably just me on my soap box. You’re all free to disagree with me (that’s right .. both of you out there reading this), but so often I see that as soon as some people find out some “dirt” on someone or something about a person that’s a bit “scandalous”, they immediate tell their best friends and start going off on that person.
What does that accomplish? I’m going to start making a concerted effort to make sure any negativity stops with me (wish me luck). If there’s an issue with someone then I’ll ask them directly and find out the truth. Talking to other people won’t resolve the situation … it will just make it worse (depending, of course, on what the situation is).
Hmm .. all this stuff made a lot more sense when I was thinking about it at 2:00 in the morning last night. I guess it’s hard to express some of this adequately with the written word. But I know what I’m feeling, and as long as I act in accordance with what I feel is the most honorable, proper way to behave myself, then I guess that’s the best I can do. We’re all responsible for our own actions … and hopefully we all embrace that responsibility and give it the respect it deserves.
My quote of the whenever:
“Strain every nerve to acquire both inner and outer perfections, for the fruit of the human tree hath ever been and will ever be perfections both within and without. It is not desirable that a man be left without knowledge or skills, for he is then but a barren tree. Then, so much as capacity and capability allow, ye needs must deck the tree of being with fruits such as knowledge, wisdom, spiritual perception and eloquent speech.” Bahá’u’lláh
And you know what? I know that there are people out there who will read that and then talk to their friends and say “Hey, did you read Mark’s weird quote? What’s up with that? Who does he think he is?”
And so I have to ask you: what is accomplished by doing that? Who are you helping? Who are you hurting? Ultimately … only yourself.
I think if I was given the choice between being happy with who I am but ridiculed by the public or being unhappy with myself and popular with everyone, I’d prefer the first one. (Of course not having experienced either to their full extent, it’s easy to say what I’d prefer.)