Investing...

In Loss.

If you're going to get better at anything, you have to "invest in loss", as we say in T'ai-Chi. That is to say, you have to give up some of your previous status and skill in order to master the next level. You have to be willing to be a beginner again.

Top dog 8th grader becomes a freshman...

The player who makes all the "one shots" in pool, suddenly misses them because now she's trying to control what the cue ball does after she makes the shot, so as to set up the next one...

Guy who can overpower people with strength in Pushing Hands suddenly gets pushed over a lot because now he's trying to find better angles that require less force and he's not as good at this...

Tango dancer who's been doing it for a couple of years and feels like hot stuff suddenly realizes that to get to the next level, he must start all over with a deeper study of the most basic moves...

Even if you're not that ambitious and don't care if you get better, even if you're like me and are just hoping to not get worse, it still helps to invest in the loss of yesterday's body as you grow into the one you have now. I am always a beginner with the body I have now. Cursing the loss of the old one doesn't help, except as a momentary venting of energy. Then it's back to being a freshman again.

I always loved the story of the Japanese martial art master who asked to be buried with his white belt on…