YEAR OF ZEN: AUTUMN: DAY 04

The Great Fire of London, with Ludgate and Old St Paul's

Q: The martial arts teach that if you can run, run…if you can’t run, to the least amount of harm. What would help you have the courage to back down from a fight?

A: I think what gives me the courage to back down from a fight is to live intentionally so that I never find myself in one. This means knowing who and what to avoid, and when. It also means living in good faith and treating other people with dignity and respect. I am smart enough to know that even with this a fight can still find its way to you, and when that happens I try to not give a raging fire oxygen. Walking away is a mitigation strategy against larger conflagration.