Pushing Against A Building

Going through old draft posts that I never published, I came across this one. I'm not sure why I didn't think it was worthy of sharing. Oh well. Enjoy!

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... and trying to get the building to move.

I was walking between buildings at work yesterday, grinding my teeth and grumbling about some issue so small that I can't remember what it was, when I realized I was just wearing myself out. I was tired to begin with, having stayed up reading far too late the night before and this was not helping at all. I realized that my aggravation wasn't accomplishing anything but self-exhaustion and I suddenly felt very silly, like I had been spending hours pushing my hardest against a building, trying to get it to move.

When I studied Kung Fu, the school had us study some Tai Chi as well. Favoring the far nastier and more kinetic Kung Fu, I didn't spend much time on the Tai Chi, but I did learn the lesson of going with your opponent's energy instead of pushing back. In Tai Chi, you relax and feel the flow of the motions, trying to get your opponent off-balance to take advantage of the situation. When you're the one pushing, you end up tired and usually on the ground.

Solving problems in life, like winning a fight, requires calm thought and energy. Draining your energy through anxiety and anger doesn't leave it available for constructive use.

Phillipians Chapter 4:

Always be joyful, then, in the Lord; I repeat, be joyful. Let your good sense be obvious to everybody. The Lord is near. Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude, and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.