Wax On, Wax Off
Daniel: Hey, what kind of belt do you have?
Miyagi: Canvas. JC Penney, $3.98; You like?
Daniel: [laughs] No, I meant...
Miyagi: In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope to hold up pants.
Miyagi: [laughs; then, seriously] Daniel-san,
Miyagi: [he taps his head] Karate here.
Miyagi: [he taps his heart] Karate here.
Miyagi: [points to his belt] Karate never here. Understand?
"Wax on....Wax off."
- Sean Reeder
My usual lesson with Coach Kevin was a "dry land" lesson. He gave me a long, red piece of surgical tubing, we went to the swim club's weight room, and did shoulder stabilization and abdominal exercises for about 30 minutes. After explaining all the excercises and watching me monkey around with the surgical tubing, Kevin said, "We've spent the past several months working on swimming from the core. Now we need to strengthen it." The Master had spoken, and I was listening. I spent an hour or so doing shoulder and abominal exercises last night, and the sweet pain is coursing through my body.
I've been truly fortunate to work with Mr. Miyagi like figures throughout my life. Kevin is one of them(http://www.brophysportscampus.org/coaches.html.) When we first started working together, we just did drills focusing on incorporating the core of the body into swimming. We didn't actually start taking strokes in the water until my third lesson. Now as we approach a new phase of training, we are going back to basics once again. I'm not quite where I want to be as a swimmer--I probably never will be--but there is a path laid out to get where I want to go.
When I first started working with my former boss, Sean Reeder, it was a similar process. Sean had me constantly focusing on the fundamentals. Each time he would give me such a task he would say, "Wax on. Wax off," then walk away and head to his office. Sean's work was always seamless as he was so focused on the fundamentals.
In my own life, I usually want to start running before I learn to walk. Often times I get ahead of myself and don't focus on the fundamentals of what I am doing. Usually things go pretty well when you nail the basics. I was thinking about fundamentals and focusing on the key components today. I went into the office to for about four hours. I got some momentum going and plan on carrying that into the work week on Monday.
After my time in the office today, I spent a good hour shining my shoes. When I was 17 my cousin John--who was attending West Point Military Academy and has since graduated--showed me how to shine shoes. The military technique involves lighting the polish on fire, dipping a shine cloth in water, then using the slightly damp cloth to shine the shoes. It's a relatively involved process, but you end up with really sharp looking shoes if you work with care.
The first time John showed me how to shine shoes like this, I thought it was sort of stupid. Now, when I need to blow off some steam, I usually take a good 45 minutes and shine my shoes. For some reason it just seems to clear my head. I don't think that this really has much to do with the actual act of shining my shoes, but more with the idea that I am forced to slow down. As much as I enjoy what I do professionally, accounting is full of deadlines. There is no deadline for shining shoes, or sipping Scotch whiskey. They are done when they are done, not any sooner or later.
It's interesting how this idea of working with a focus and taking your time comes down to one of my favorite and most perplexing practices: balance. Sean knew how to work slow. It's a fine balance, and counter intuitive.
Namaste
Miyagi: Canvas. JC Penney, $3.98; You like?
Daniel: [laughs] No, I meant...
Miyagi: In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope to hold up pants.
Miyagi: [laughs; then, seriously] Daniel-san,
Miyagi: [he taps his head] Karate here.
Miyagi: [he taps his heart] Karate here.
Miyagi: [points to his belt] Karate never here. Understand?
"Wax on....Wax off."
- Sean Reeder
My usual lesson with Coach Kevin was a "dry land" lesson. He gave me a long, red piece of surgical tubing, we went to the swim club's weight room, and did shoulder stabilization and abdominal exercises for about 30 minutes. After explaining all the excercises and watching me monkey around with the surgical tubing, Kevin said, "We've spent the past several months working on swimming from the core. Now we need to strengthen it." The Master had spoken, and I was listening. I spent an hour or so doing shoulder and abominal exercises last night, and the sweet pain is coursing through my body.
I've been truly fortunate to work with Mr. Miyagi like figures throughout my life. Kevin is one of them(http://www.brophysportscampus.org/coaches.html.) When we first started working together, we just did drills focusing on incorporating the core of the body into swimming. We didn't actually start taking strokes in the water until my third lesson. Now as we approach a new phase of training, we are going back to basics once again. I'm not quite where I want to be as a swimmer--I probably never will be--but there is a path laid out to get where I want to go.
When I first started working with my former boss, Sean Reeder, it was a similar process. Sean had me constantly focusing on the fundamentals. Each time he would give me such a task he would say, "Wax on. Wax off," then walk away and head to his office. Sean's work was always seamless as he was so focused on the fundamentals.
In my own life, I usually want to start running before I learn to walk. Often times I get ahead of myself and don't focus on the fundamentals of what I am doing. Usually things go pretty well when you nail the basics. I was thinking about fundamentals and focusing on the key components today. I went into the office to for about four hours. I got some momentum going and plan on carrying that into the work week on Monday.
After my time in the office today, I spent a good hour shining my shoes. When I was 17 my cousin John--who was attending West Point Military Academy and has since graduated--showed me how to shine shoes. The military technique involves lighting the polish on fire, dipping a shine cloth in water, then using the slightly damp cloth to shine the shoes. It's a relatively involved process, but you end up with really sharp looking shoes if you work with care.
The first time John showed me how to shine shoes like this, I thought it was sort of stupid. Now, when I need to blow off some steam, I usually take a good 45 minutes and shine my shoes. For some reason it just seems to clear my head. I don't think that this really has much to do with the actual act of shining my shoes, but more with the idea that I am forced to slow down. As much as I enjoy what I do professionally, accounting is full of deadlines. There is no deadline for shining shoes, or sipping Scotch whiskey. They are done when they are done, not any sooner or later.
It's interesting how this idea of working with a focus and taking your time comes down to one of my favorite and most perplexing practices: balance. Sean knew how to work slow. It's a fine balance, and counter intuitive.
Namaste
posted by Zen_Accountant at 3:33 PM
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