Once while sparring and in mid-hit a martial art instructor stopped his attack and informed me to “remain unmoving until the natural move occurs.” I was new to the martial arts and blocking too fast before he had committed fully to his attack. Because of this he was able to readjust himself. If I blocked high too fast he would drop his punch and hit me. If I blocked low too slow he would break my structure down and hit me. He would hit me every time until I started adjusting with this in mind.

Later that night while admiring my many bruises I realized he was teaching me about a lot more than the martial arts. That philosophy can and should be applied to everything we do.

It is easy to be hasty and rush into the future without paying attention to the now. We are often results driven yet we are not always process driven. The present is always changing, yet we hope the future will be stable. It won’t. Because of this desire we often overlook signs and indicators of problems in the present.

Many of us rush into getting married because it sounds good and we crave the security it implies. Or sometimes we take whatever job out of fear and desire even if it isn’t what we want.

If we do not wait for the natural move to occur, the right best move, then we may be rushing into a marriage or speeding up to a traffic light without paying attention to the events, information and people around us.

When we are patient, steadfast, and alert, we are able to see the woods for the trees and not just a place to hurry back from to our cars. The truth is, only awareness in the present can protect us if we are able to see clearly, and that affects the future.

However, things can and will always happen, but how they affect us and to what extent could be the difference. Sometimes we can avoid trouble altogether. It may be the difference between a tragic car accident or a fender bender or nothing but a honk and a middle finger.

There is always a desire is to protect and provide security for ourselves; yet block too soon or too late can result in physical damage or if rushed into a bad relationship, a few years later, emotional damage.

Even at our best and most focused in martial arts we may still be hit. Yet the impact endured will now be less.

It is the difference between trying to control and hurry into the future or standing in the now experiencing it fully, though frightening at times. We can then make the best decision for ourselves and possibly steer away from harm, by seeing that moment fully for what it is.

So we must remain unmoving mentally and physically until the natural move, direction, or choice, occurs.