Lucky People & Beginner’s Mind

Are we here because we are good or because we are lucky? — Audrey Hepburn

After seizing many opportunities to grow and meet other T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) practitioners at events, I am continually inspired by their accounts of how TCC changed the way they live. These transformations are often viewed by them as miraculous. Anyone who has met me knows that the person they see today defied the odds, that with my rocky past I must be lucky. But reflecting on where I was and who I am now, the question is: was I lucky or did I become lucky through mindful meditative practices, such as TCC and reflective journaling?

My handwriting showed me that first profound moment — when I knew that I was not trying to be healthy, happy, and forgiving. I simply was.

Journaling has been an effective tool to help setting and achieving goals. It documents an accurate picture of our true thoughts in that moment. But is it still useful in my journey, considering I have boxes of journals, 99% of which I’ve never referenced again? Is it worth the time?

“The hand cannot erase what the mind writes down.” I recall this concept from a collegiate existential psychology class that explored how the body conveys and expresses the inner working of our minds. I assumed it meant that you can control your body language and posture. I figured, if my handwriting is sloppy while journaling, I can slow down and focus on writing with control. At that time, I was proud of this trick I discovered to calm down and relax in the midst of stress. Since this coincided with being a TCC beginner, I also attributed this “Aha!” moment to understanding how to apply the principles of how to move in TCC to other areas of my life.

Little did I know that the idea had a fuller meaning. In December 2022, I was looking at Justin’s Spiritual Odyssey, where I have been jotting margin notes, reflections, and questions since 2008. It’s fun to open to a random page and find inspiration for that day’s practice. Afterwards, I date the page and write a quick note if one is worth making. That is when I made the realization about the handwriting.

Prior to learning TCC my penmanship quality might have indicated I was a serial killer. In the Spiritual Odyssey margins, I saw beautiful, fluid, even-pressured, consistent, and lovely handwriting. At some point TCC changed my personality so that I no longer consciously controlled my handwriting to find peace. I was peace so my handwriting became peaceful.

TCC taught me how to adopt this mindset and allow this way to simply be. It triggered a domino effect of positive choices which allowed me to experience who I am. Through journaling, I chose to optimize my TCC practices by letting go of what I am not. I am and have always been lucky: TCC helped me see.