“Fall down seven times, get up eight.”

– Japanese Proverb

I think I love proverbs because its the sort of wisdom that comes not from great philosophers, or the founders of religions, but just the normal people who have been living their lives and have learned a thing or two about a thing or two in the course of it.

I love this proverb, first shared with me by my qigong sifu, because it presupposes failure, and studying with Sifu Anthony was the first time I’d ever encountered any teacher who presupposed failure and used that presupposition in his teaching method. I was offended at first, but of course what he teaches isn’t just a style or a method, but a changed life and making changes that big… you really do need to presuppose failure, plan for it, and know exactly what to do and how when you have failed to get back up and start again.