Chapter 25
One must travel to understand where they started.
Everything one needs Is at their own door To understand this Great distances Must be travelled
At one time or another, I suspect that we have all been told to appreciate what we have. Yet it is part of human nature to want more. Or, maybe, to see if things couldn’t be just a little bit better. It is tough to be satisfied with what you have when you have only a tantalizingly limited knowledge of the wider world.
In truth, it is a good thing to get out and see the world. And not just tourist travel (though that is also good) but go somewhere and find a job. Stay for a few years. Doing so provides real perspective on the culture of the area. If all you can manage is a short visit, get out of the tourist areas and see, if for however brief a time, how the real people live.
The same goes for your martial art training. Get outside your “style” and explore other methods. Experience other interpretations and cultural influences. Where appropriate, integrate them into your own practice.
By exploring other perspectives, your own perspective will be changed. Inherited prejudices will be overcome. When you get home, familiar things will be seen differently and new appreciations will develop. And yes, you will realize that you had all you needed right where you started. You just needed the proper perspective. Still, the journey was worth it.