in the article “The Tao of Skate” i discussed the idea of getting and being stoked and although i didn’t pay it lip service, i am impressed today with the significance of doing something that makes you stoked as a tool for growth. after many weeks of being unable to skate due to a variety of factors including the weather, i have found myself without a certain buoyancy that i usually have, one that gives me impetus to be more active and eat better. this shouldn’t surprise me as i know that “all realities constantly wax or wane,” or for a more quick and dirty expression; “everything snowballs,” but i think i had put being stoked in a “nice to have” category, rather than a “necessary” one. one’s physical health directly impacts the energetic aspect of one’s spiritual development. you cannot ignore your physical condition for very long before it begins to affect other areas of your life including your spirituality. Being stoked is half of what makes life worth living; it is the joy of life. The other half is spiritual development or realizing Ttruth, but this is the work of life. They are both interrelated though, as one’s spiritual development affects one’s ability to experience true peace and joy rather than fleeting and illusory happiness. Stoke is not necessary for living, but it is necessary for thriving.

jim