Ah, a fresh start. Feels good right?

Get rid of all that old baggage and start a new path. Awesomeness!

Except...

A fresh start is really starting back at ZERO.

Some people get addicted to fresh starts. Failing miserably at whatever it is they continually fail at. Then finally crashing hard into the same wall they've crashed into over and over. Then announcing to the world that they have turned a new leaf.

Announcing a fresh start.

It's better to call it what it is. Starting at zero.

Go directly to jail. Do not pass go.

Martial arts taught to 29 year olds. Seems to coincide with neuroscience findings thaat the Pre-frontal cortex is not fully developed until late 20's in males

It seems that there is a fundamental belief that when we enhance male energy we are diminishing female energy.

This is not only false, it is also the opposite of the truth.

Strength is a masculine energy. Its feminine counterpart is not weakness. Depending on context it could be support. It could be harmony.

We say things like "masculine and feminine energies are out of balance". Implying that they are in opposition. They are not.

When the masculine energy is enhanced it allows the feminine energy to be enhanced. And vice versa. The two build together.

One of my teachers, a highly skilled martial artist, would often talk about the horrible teachers he had coming up through the ranks. He would talk about how he got through it and how he knew much of what they told him was wrong. I used to just write this conversation off as ego talk. Now I am convinced that the crap teachers were instrumental in making him a great martial artist.

And I'm sure that sounds like a big load of crap to you, dear reader.