Kendo would counsel that one of the most valuable qualities one can have is resilience. It goes without saying that life can seem like an unending series of problems to solve, demands on time and energy, and even challenges to maintaining a positive outlook. Most thinking, feeling people empathise with the world around them, and even watching the news can elicit such powerful identification with the troubles of others that it troubles and drains them too. What has been described here is no more than being human. So why is it so difficult at times?

There is no quick and easy answer to that question; being human is undeniably a challenge, but it needn’t be a one-way street.

Those who meditate already know how exquisite it is to find the stillness of Zen and let all concerns fall away; if you haven’t yet meditated, you owe it to yourself to try. The ‘re-boot’ one experiences is powerful enough in itself, but one also gains fresh perspectives on everything in one’s life. And so, resilience is found.

Kendo has long advocated rising to life’s challenges to the best of one’s ability, as it is triumphing over them that progressively builds yet more strength. Indeed, he goes further – a life without challenges has nothing to teach us, so we should always stretch ourselves, go further, do more, welcome ever more new, challenging experiences. Whilst this may sound exhausting, it genuinely isn’t, if you have meditation to fall back upon.

Another strength that emerges from meditation is objectivity. Kendo points out that many of life’s difficulties – particularly those relating to people – can seem beyond understanding, such as: why would anyone do anything to wound another? Conventional wisdom is inclined to condemn apparently hurtful behaviour, but even having such an opinion is a burden of negativity itself. Any such burden is lifted when the problem is ‘let go’ in meditation, and this opens the way to judgment-free understanding – we can never know all the reasons why strangers do what they do, but they should be able to walk their own paths and make their own discoveries free from the animosity of others.

Kendo shows us that the peace and objectivity we get from meditation relieves all parties of the burden of judgment and condemnation, and it gives us back the energy we may have expended this way. Meditation enables us to take life at face value, fearing no unknown future, living and letting-live, not wasting energy on worries we can transcend or judgments we are not motivated to make. In combination with the experience of Zen peace and the mental re-boot of meditation, the energy this returns to us can only strengthen our resilience, and give us confidence to seek ever more challenges, and learn from them.

This is Kendo’s way – be ambitious for yourself, and have confidence in your strength and ability to succeed on every level.