Book excerpt: Eliminate struggle. Harness the power of the spiral to achieve your desired outcomes - and do "it" with grace and ease. Karen Valencic blends her expertise in the martial art Aikido, with performance improvement, and science. She illustrates how to use conflict creatively, focus energy and make solid decisions to generate the power to get what you want done with grace. "Keep moving and bend your knees." These words echo in my head whenever I begin to struggle. In the early days of my martial arts practice, I would frequently feel overwhelmed by my big, sweaty opponents. But if I suddenly appeared immobilized by my opponent's greater strength, my teacher's voice in the background would ring out, "Keep moving and bend your knees." The martial art "aikido" mimics life. Movement gives us energy and creativity; struggle and fear make us feel stuck. The choices you make either create or stop momentum, both on the aikido practice mat and in life and work. "Keep moving and bend your knees" in everyday life means be flexible and ask questions for continuous learning. Movement gives us energy and creativity; struggle and fear make us feel stuck.