On Mind the Game, NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash and future NBA Hall of Famer Lebron James distinguished the difference between Regular Season Basketball and Playoff Basketball. They detailed the mental and physical preparation required, and “making game adjustments on the fly.”
In the playoffs, Lebron knows what his opponent is going to do, and they know what he’s going to do. He said, “I am competing against myself.” Aikido Founder O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” That’s in basketball, in martial arts, and in life.
Steve said it’s about Zen or The Art of War by Sun Tzu. It’s live or die, win or lose. He said, “Once you realize that you died a thousand deaths. What’s one more?”
The late Mizukami said, “Just train.” I put my head down. Put in the work. I work on myself, not on others. I work on becoming the greatest that I can be. Like Lebron and Steve, I’m the best I can be and do the best I can. It’s live or die. Hopefully, not literally. It’s win or lose, for sure.
The late NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant said, “Failure excites me.” When I fail, when I lose, I die a death. In the samurai proverb: “Nana korobi ya oki.” Fall down 7 times, get up 8. When I fail, when I fall down, I get back up. I learn from my failure. Failure gives me what to work on next. I fix myself. I move on, move forward.
I’ve failed at least 10,000 times. So, I’ve died at least 10,000 deaths. What’s one more? I train to be the best I can and do my best. That way, I can live with myself. I’m quiet inside. I have peace inside.
I was so happy when I passed my Shodan (1st degree black belt) test in Aikido. Still, I sucked at randori. In randori, 3 people attacked me. I had to throw and evade attackers for a couple minutes. All three caught me after a couple minutes, too. I died a death. I could have done and been a lot better. I had something to work on.
Two years later, I took my Nidan (2nd degree black belt) test. This time, Ishibashi Sensei selected 5 black belts for randori. They were all bigger and stronger than me. Then again, I was 5’ 3” and 145 pounds. I thought to myself, “WTF?”
I remembered the late Mizukami Sensei taught me, “Throw one at a time.” Sensei said that my mind is calmest in the storm, when I feel the most danger.
When randori began, I threw the first attacker to my right. I passed the next attacker. Then I threw the attacker to my left. I ran in a circle to the outside making the attackers chase me in a line. I threw them one at a time. After about 3 minutes, all 5 black belts caught me. I was done. I died one more death. That was by design.
The late Mizukami Sensei was Old School. Randori wasn’t about technique for him. It was about character. Sensei wanted to see that I could go farther than I thought I could. It wasn’t 5 black belts against me. It was me against me. I passed my test. Yeah, I was happy, too.
I’ve trained in Aikido for over 35 years. I’m Godan (5th degree black belt). I just train. I’ve died more deaths along the path. What’s one more? I learn from each one. I work on myself, not on others. I keep getting better. Keep moving forward.
On the journey to fall madly and deeply in love with a woman, who will love me back, I die my deaths. I died a death, when someone dismissed me after our date, because I was short. I died a death, when someone used me until she could find the man she loved. What’s one more? I work on myself, not on them. I have nothing to do with what goes on inside someone else. I have a say in what goes on inside me. I work on being the greatest I can be. That’s all I can do.
On Match dotcom, I send out messages to women I would like to meet. I don’t get many replies. I’m not what women want. I’m 5′ 3″. I’m not handsome. I’m exactly not rich. Still, I give this my best. I’ll get more rejections. More dismissals. I’ll die my deaths. What’s one more? Maybe there’s some woman out there, who wants to meet me. Who knows? Lightning could strike.
I fail over, and over, and over again in life. I’ve died at least 10,000 deaths. That’s metaphorically speaking. They all make me the greater man, the greater person. They all make us greater, too. What’s one more? Just asking.
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Photo: iStock
