I’ve said before that all arts have a tempo, a rhythm, a flavour to them. The very best performances evoke some emotion in their audience. So today we’re going to talk about cooking; specifically, cooking soup.

But first, let’s change gears for a moment to focus on something my karate sensei said. The other day, he gave a lecture on purpose. The gist of it was that if you don’t have a purpose for whatever it is you’re doing, then either find one or stop doing it. Life is too short to live without purpose.

Ok, hang on to that thought. Back to soup.

You’re a Cook

Imagine for a moment that you’re a cook making a pot of soup. What kind of soup would you want to make? Something thick and hearty? Something light and smooth? In any case, you’ll need a few things to make it really well.

First, you’ll need quality ingredients. The quality of the raw materials you put into your soup directly influences the end result. All other things equal, better ingredients = better soup.

Next, you’ll need more than one type of flavour. If you only make a soup out of broth and nothing else, the end result is something empty and unfulfilling. Different sources of flavour add depth to your soup.

Finally, you’ll need patience. A watched pot never boils, and it takes time for the ingredients to come together and make something greater than the sum of their parts.

It’s up to you: you can make something shallow and without flavour, or you can put together the best damn soup anyone has ever seen. Your choice.

Wrapping it Up

…wait what? We’re done already? But all we did was talk about soup!

In case you didn’t pick up on it, this post was never really about soup 🙂 I’ll end off by revisiting the idea of purpose as it applies to karate and other martial arts.

When I first took up karate, my purpose was to fight, and fight well. Now, I have multiple purposes. I still train to defend myself, but I also train for the fitness aspect, to spend time with the friends I’ve made and, most importantly right now, for the lessons I learn in the dojo that apply everywhere else in my life. Maybe one day my purpose will evolve to include setting a good example for others and transmitting the lessons I’ve learned to the next generation of students.

For now though, my single most important purpose relates to happiness and mindfulness. When I train, I try to do so with an empty mind, focusing purely on my training (not on what I need to do for work, or at home, or anything else). I try to be fully present and immersed in the moment. I’m also trying to apply that to other areas of my life. That’s my purpose, and it shares the spotlight with the others I mentioned. When you combine them all together, it makes for a pretty rich and hearty soup.