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I think growing older transforms in meaningfulness. I watched Facebook TV’s “Tom vs. Time” chronicling 41-year-old Quarterback Tom Brady’s journey from preseason to the Super Bowl Championship. I was touched and inspired.
In the episode “The Spiritual Game,” Tom said football was his very first love. He fell in love with football watching his hero Joe Montana play when he was 4 years old. Tom is never more alive, more present, more self-expressed than when he plays football.
Perhaps the greatest quarterback ever to play the game, at 41 years old, Tom continually amazes in his execution at that elite level of performance. He surrenders to his greater. Present to what he used to do, Tom trains for greater in aspects that he has something to do with: he’s the consummate student of mastery.
Tom said, “I’m a lot closer to the end than the beginning.” He distinguishes the meaningfulness in being older. He recreates that sense of wonder for what he does, in practice, on the field.
NBA All-Pro Kobe Bryant’s first love was basketball. Kobe retired from the game he loved at 39 years old. He’d won five NBA Championships. Kobe is among the greatest to play the game. His body endured injury and relentless training for his 20-year career playing at the highest level. Inevitably, his older body could no longer balance his indomitable spirit. Yeah, we all get old. Kobe touchingly said, “But my body knows it’s time to say ‘Goodbye’.”
In growing older, eventually, we all say “Goodbye.” I know that’s my destiny in Aikido. Kobe poignantly narrated of his first love in his Oscar-winning short film “Dear Basketball”—what he did for it, what he gave up for it, and the life he got from it.
Kobe reminisces, “From the moment I started rolling my Dad’s socks… I gave you my spirit and soul.” The wonder for that continues, albeit transformed into the older stages of life. At the conclusion of “Dear Basketball,” Kobe says, “Love always, Kobe.” For me, it will be: “Dear Aikido… Love, always, Jon.”
Kobe studied from his Heroes. He learned to play the post from NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon. Kobe trained in Jeet Kune Do, Bruce Lee’s martial art. Our Heroes inspire that timeless sense of wonder in all of us. Heroes dare us to be greater than we know.
My hero is Sensei Dan, even after his passing. Now, I train with Sensei Bobby, who’s my dear friend. We were partners learning Aikido for years from Sensei. Bobby now teaches me, as we reinvent our Aikido rediscovering old-school fundamentals of weapons mastery. We pass on what we get to those, who will become greater.
O-Sensei says that we must all overcome ourselves, in some way. Therein lies true victory. Your greatest opponent is not outside you; rather, it is within. In growing older, the internal game transforms to the external one. You work on self to heal, to grow so that you capably participate in the greater journey of others.
That’s the noble cause of Sensei. That’s the inherent meaningfulness in growing older. Yes, I get older. And there’s nothing personal. Older sees the wisdom in making a difference, contributing to others. Older gives forward all that had made a difference for me to them. Wonder is in the possible legacy to follow.
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Photo credit: Pixabay