How astute are you? In business as in life generally we acknowledge those whom we class as "astute", for their perception and insight. The wise old men of the past became very observant, extremely intuitive and immensely astute. Often it was as though they could predict a chain of events through some remarkable power they had been blessed with, and as a consequence nurture an incontestable wisdom. So where did this mastery come from... ? Many led a humble existence and dedicated their lives to assisting those in jeopardy. Their observations came from studying life... their astuteness came from understanding the interconnected patterns of human existence. Can this mastery be achieved in today's world... ? Of course it can... but there is a toll... If we are prepared to undertake the same dedication to the study and observation of life that the sages of the past did, then surely we can become as astute as they were... and as a consequence leave a legacy to help make the world a better place... And by default shape a better life for us... without the need to become an impoverished hermit. Two such ideologies studied by the ancient sages are Aiki and Zen... These two magnificent philosophies bring together the wisdom of the past to assist us in managing our personal and business lives today in the 21st century... Often they are seen as separate entities, but are, as all things are, interrelated. When combined they give us a remarkable mechanism to become very astute in both business and life. Zen philosophy favours understanding over knowledge... and leads us to behaving in an exemplary way, particularly in relation to the way we treat others. Aiki... is a martial art term meaning... harmonising energy... it applies not only on a physical level, but teaches us the concepts of distance without being distant... strong posture... and deflecting and controlling whatever negative intention is aimed at you. Zen teaches us to develop three attributes... for us to become better people... Clarity... not to believe anything until you have found truth for yourself... distinguish between good and bad, embrace the good. Humanity... understanding that good people and bad people are different... and that each have their own unhappiness... and own joy... Courage... appreciate that we learn fear... and that we must discover the courage to unlearn fear... Aiki helps us to understand three postures... that help us deal with those people and situations that would do us some form of harm... they are... Mental posture... Physical posture... Spiritual posture... (not a religious thing, your spirit signifies above all else your inner most intent and essence). Aiki give us the perception to tackle a situation, with the intent of not competing to win, but with the control of the three postures to ensure you don't lose. Zen gives us a code of honour with which to measure ourselves and others. Aiki gives us a strategy for dealing with whatever life throws at us, by maintaining a strong stance through the three postures of mind, body and spirit. The reality is... Everyone wants the same thing... to be happy and content... but astute enough to know it is morally and practically unwise to chase only our own happiness. For many people the pressures of life rob them of the opportunity of contentment. Aiki combined with Zen give us the wisdom to create a contented life irrespective of our circumstances. In today's world, we are not used to waiting, we want and expect things to come quickly, and easily, we have knowledge, and skill to a degree but often we lack wisdom and understanding. Aiki and Zen are two friends that walk by our side for all of our life, helping us to gradually understand our situation and learning how to become a better person living a better life. "if we simply let life unfold, allowing Aiki and Zen to assist us in observing what is actually happening so that we don't end up chasing impossible rainbow's, everything we deserve will eventually come to us" "we are all protected by our own spirit, essence and good intent" It is at this point that we are able to endeavour to become astute. Using modern psychology astute people are able to discern the following four states that all humans are prone to... Unconscious incompetence Conscious incompetence Unconscious competence Conscious competence Unfortunately many people delude themselves by believing they are competent when they are incompetent. Look around and you can see many, many people who are unconscious incompetents. They continually practice bad habit's and eventually become very good at being incompetent. "experience does not always equate to ability" Many people in business and politics reach a level of incompetence because they are promoted above their competency. As a consequence there are many examples of an unconscious incompetent appointing another unconscious incompetent. Aiki and Zen give us the clarity to see our own inadequacies, the humanity to help those who need help, and the courage to do what needs to be done... Finally, many people deceive themselves and others into believing they are more competent than they actually are... when you are astute enough to truthfully understand yourself you really will be astute enough to understand others... Fortunately many people have good intent, are skillful and bring a quality to their own and others lives. However we sometimes get so close to people and negative situations, we lose our posture, become confused and distressed. We may not be able to be happy all the time... but we are able to be accepting of all situations presented to us, and, consequently content. Aiki and Zen enable us to become more astute, by being able to keep a distance without being distant, see the truth of a situation and stop bad things happening before they happen... Chris "when we practice a martial art or any other skill, we learn technique... however if we only learn technique and forget the principles of Zen and Aiki... we will become, only technicians... and miss the opportunity of becoming more astute." Please visit and like https://www.facebook.com/aikibusinesslifesolutions for more insight into how Aiki and Zen can help you and your business. Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Chris_Redfern/2235140
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