Quiet Focus for Success

不心
"No mind" state for success

The ancient Chinese and Japanese martial arts masters emphasized the importance of reaching a state of "no mind" to be successful. Reaching the "no mind" state comes from years of training and repetition until the body, mind, and spirit act as one. There is no need to think, no need to recognize and consider. As soon as something is sensed, act immediately without thinking. Yes, this is necessary and natural for sports, for martial arts, mountain climbing, skiing, and snowboarding. But I often wonder, how to translate this to business and life? Is it possible to achieve a "no mind" state that provides the same success in business as in sports?

In Karate do （空手道） TaijiQuan (太极拳), sword fighting, or other martial arts, the masters train us to reach a state where we don't think, we just do. Once an attack starts, you have no time to think through a list of options: attack the attack, block, move out of the way, counter-attack? In that instance you will be too slow and lose. The only option is to sense and act. there's no time to think. Training your body, mind, and spirit to act together is the only way to accomplish this state of "no mind."

Snowboarding, skiing, and rock climbing use the same principle of "no mind." The best masters of these sports don't think. They see or feel, and do. When I was spending a lot of time rock climbing, I learned quickly that if I stopped to think and be afraid, I would hesitate and fall. Success came by focusing ONLY on the next move, not thinking about anything. Just make my body move upward the next one, two, or three moves.

Snowboarding and snow skiing is the same way. The best snowboarders don't think about movement or how to do the next turn. They look down the hill, never at their feet or hips. They just look, decide the course, and then go. Going down a steep demanding course should be no different than water going down the hill. Just look, go, and move down the mountain like a smooth, well-rehearsed dance. A dance that changes instantaneously with each small change in the mountain. I haven't reached that stage too often in snowboarding. Sometimes I start thinking about something, and then I fall. Usually I fall quite often.

"No mind" is a common and necessary state for all sports: martial arts, rock climbing, snowboard, tennis, golf. You can only reach this state after tremendous practice and training until your body, mind, and spirit act as one without thinking.

My big question is: how to accomplish the "no mind" state to accomplish more in life? Can we reach "no mind" for business and other parts of life? Is it desirable? What do we sacrifice when reaching this state? What works in sports should also work well in the bigger area of life and business. It must be possible to train ourselves and reach a focus where our ability in life simulates our ability in sports.

Unfortunately, I'm not that clever. I only have questions, not answers. Maybe I need to go do some field testing for my job: time for tennis or golf, anyone?

我的汉子的天： 才， ability, talent, gift

日本語：サイ、sai, 天才 tensai = genius 画才 gasai = artistic talent
中文： 才 cai, 才干 caigan = ability, competence 才气= literary talent