This week I went to see the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Jiro is an 85 year old Tokyo sushi chef who has devoted his life to sushi (practically since leaving home at the age of 9) and to improving his skills, to seeking the perfect sushi. He works every day, from sunrise to late in the evening, has done for many decades. This commitment, this focus, this dedication is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. There are no relationships in this world except through the work – his sons work for him or near him (there are apparently no women in this world).
He advocates doing the same thing over and over again; it’s sushi-making almost as a spiritual practice or ‘walking a path’.
Journal Prompt
Write about something you do over and over again. Is it an action? A ritual? A habit?
What are you commited to? What do you ‘practice’?
Explore your own practices – do these include journal writing?
For further exploration of journal writing as a spiritual practice see Christina Baldwin’s Life’s Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest which offers a lot of ideas and exercises for developing your journal as a practice. Or recommend your favourite books on this topic here.