Your Life Design by Surprise

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What’s the design of human beings? Maybe wonder is in the design.

What’s your human design? Exploring my human design is a little scary for me. I discover even more about me that I have to work out, am surprised to discover what is my ‘by design’: What was created for me.

In acceptance of my older self, I discover wisdom and have a reverence for my childhood sense of wonder: The world was a place of infinite possibility. That was our access to being free to be ourselves as children.

William Wordsworth wrote that we can’t return to childhood. However, you can recreate your sense of childhood wonder in mind and soul as your beautiful design. Wordsworth wrote in “The Prelude”:

That later seasons owed to thee no less;
For, spite of thy sweet influence and the touch
Of kindred hands that opened out the springs
Of genial thought in childhood, and in spite
Of all that unassisted I had marked
In life or nature of those charms minute
That win their way into the heart by stealth
(Still to the very going-out of youth)
I too exclusively esteemed ‘that’ love,
And sought ‘that’ beauty, which, as Milton sings,
Hath terror in it. Thou didst soften down
This over-sternness; but for thee, dear Friend!

I had lunch with Jim, my dear friend from our high school days. We recently reconnected after about 35 years. Jim texted me that he would be in Los Angeles for a couple days for business. Our schedules aligned and we met for lunch.

Over a burger, chicken tacos, and fries we talked about the Oscar-nominated movies we’d seen. Jim is as big a movie fan as I am. We loved Margot Robbie in “I, Tonya”. Jim truly loved “Three Billboard”. I expressed my reluctance noting its darker narrative theme. Jim still recommended that I see it. I have yet to.

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I told him “Phantom Thread” with ‘supposedly retiring’ Daniel Day-Lewis was awesome. Daniel deserved his Nomination after once again emerging from his career hibernation. I invited Jim to participate in my Annual Academy Awards Contest. He said, “Yeah!”

Jim was also flying back to Hawaii for a half-marathon in a couple weeks, kind of his vacation as well. He’s the prolific long-distance runner, having run marathons and half-marathons all across the country.

Jim asked about my Aikido training? I said, “Aikido practice is great.” I had just learned a new way to practice an old technique from sitting position. Sensei Bobby showed me how to keep my legs stationary, not hurting my older knees. We reinvented the way I practiced as new. That gave me great joy.

Jim confessed that martial arts was just not his ‘cup of tea’. When he as a kid, his parents made him take karate. Jim experienced a sense of powerlessness in class. Karate just didn’t work for him. Most of all it wasn’t fun. Karate was not for Jim by design. Conversely, running was Jim’s by design.

I’ve trained in Aikido for almost 30 years. Ironically, Mom made me take Aikido when I was 12 years old. Actually, it occurred more as outright force. There was no “But no, Mom.” She chose Aikido for me because wanted me to learn the less offensively minded martial art: no punching and no kicking. It all worked out. I eventually met Sensei Dan. I’m now a Sensei as well. So Mom’s wisdom is far beyond reproach.

I told Jim that I’ve thrown 250 and 300-pound men to the ground with Aikido. That’s by design. Aikido Founder O-Sensei was physically small, truly about my size. I might have been even a little taller. However, O-Sensei was far greater in mind, in body, and in spirit. O-Sensei mastered various Japanese martial arts while developing Aikido. He also studied Zen and Shinto among other disciplines.

O-Sensei designed Aikido for the smaller weaker man to work against the bigger stronger man. I’m not great in Aikido. I’m good enough. That’s by design; like marathons are by design for Jim. Still working by design, demands dedicated and selfless training in the mastery of that discipline. I get that accepting my “by design” takes years of practice.

I continue to practice because I get to define me. I do it because I love it. I have the greater joy for Aikido. By design. Discover your “by design”. Discover your surprise. Aikido was my surprise. Like Sensei Dan it is my life as well.

So what’s your “by design”? Discover yours, whatever that maybe. Life transforms and flows in accepting our very human design.

Perhaps, one’s by design or by chance are virtually the same. Our Yin and Yang of human being. Discover the wonder in your “by design”. It’s definitely worth looking for.
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