Adversity and the Keisaku Stick Treatment
01:01:06
Irenka finding ‘adversity’ in the engine bay of S/V Mothership!
“Don’t just sit there. Do something. The answer will follow””
Life is like a book, and it’s shorter than you think. How you choose to populate the pages of your book until they lay your cold, lifeless body into a hole in the ground or put a torch to it is entirely up to you.
Your book could read like a maintenance manual or an intrepid adventure; a how-to guide or a bodice-ripping yarn. Will the protagonist be a loyal company employee, never straying from the path of conformity, or an adventurous maverick who was an uncompromising individual?
Your life story will be your parting gift to the world.
The top 5 selling books of the 21st century are:
Harry Potter series (Action and fantasy)
Robert Langdon series - (Adventure)
Twilight series (Drama and fiction)
The Hunger Games (Dystopian)
The Kite Runner (Fantasy)
Look at the genres: Action, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Fiction, and Dystopia. Yet there is one common theme that runs through all of these genres - adversity. Adversity makes for a gripping, intriguing, and enthralling read. It also makes for an exciting, thrilling, and fulfilling life because it is a catalyst for change and rebirth. However, more than ever, people are avoiding physical and emotional discomfort or mistaking it for a disadvantage and feel the world is somehow holding them back or owes them a break.
A safe space is not where positive change takes place!
Don’t fall into that way of thinking. If you examine your life, you’ll see that your proudest achievements and most thrilling moments often came from facing adversity and conquering your fears. You possibly prioritised and focused on what was important. The experience most likely made you a happier, healthier, and more empowered individual. You bask in the glow of achievement; of coming through trials and tribulations. And if you face adversity as a community, group, or family, it strengthens those bonds too.
I used to organise team-building events for people who had never sailed before. In one day, we’d take participants who had never set foot on a boat before to compete in an actual yacht race in the English Channel, where conditions were often challenging, to say the least. But I saw the most positive changes come about in people who feared the activity the most.
Rowan and Yewan braving the sulphur clouds on the island of Vulcano in the Aeolian Islands - Italy
The Keisaku Treatment
In Zen Buddhism, the keisaku is a blunt wooden stick wielded by the master to beat monks during meditation. Keisaku is roughly translated as the “awakening stick.” It is not considered a punishment but a compassionate means to reinvigorate the meditator; to awaken him from his slumber and free him from his "monkey mind.”
Like a Zen Master, life's unexpected events can shock you from your slumber and help you grow. A medical diagnosis, a redundancy notice, a marriage breakdown, or the death of a close relative has a similar effect. It can shock you out of your comfort zone.
When you begin to put the shattered pieces of your life back together, somehow they just don’t seem to fit together anymore. Your shell has broken and your skin has been exposed; it hurts and feels raw. But you have grown and changed with the experience, and when you start to put the broken pieces of your old shell back together, they no longer fit.
What happened was out of your control, but how you heal IS under your control. You can carefully try to piece your life back together the way it was before or use these events as a catalyst for change. I have met widows, widowers, cancer survivors, and divorcees, all of whom credit their life-changing moments with transforming their lives for the better.
But do you really want to wait for a personal disaster to befall you before pursuing your dream? If you live a relatively benign life, a Zen master is unlikely to come along with a big stick. You might continue to stagnate with your monkey mind getting in the way of working out what you really want in life. If that’s the case, then maybe it’s time to craft a Keisaku stick of your own.
Quit your boring job, dump your toxic partner or give notice on your rented apartment. Sell your car and go by bus, tell your needy friends they’re arseholes. Give your life the Keisaku treatment and see how liberating it feels!
“Don’t just sit there..”
This A4 PDF Poster is available from our Patreon site:
This Week’s Suggestions
Each week we’ll also be offering three little suggestion to nudge you along your journey. We know having family means you have a busy life, so we’ve kept them sweet, simple and easily actionable.
Nurture a growth mindset, viewing challenges as opportunities for learning and growth. Accept that setbacks are not permanent but rather a part of the journey toward personal development.
Try expressive writing as a means of self-reflection during difficult times. Journal your experiences, emotions, and insights to gain clarity, identify patterns, and spark creative solutions to navigate challenges.
Seek diverse perspectives when facing adversity, maybe by seeking advice from friends, family, mentors, or even engaging with communities facing similar challenges. Exposure to different viewpoints can provide fresh insights and spark creative approaches to overcoming obstacles.
That’s it for this week, next week will be the final module of Chapter 01 - ‘You’re all individuals!
See you next time..
