The other day I was struggling with a few things going on that I had no control of. I decide that I wanted to have this pity party all by my self and invite all my drama to free rent in my head. I knew I had to break the cycle and do something about it. Yard work always seems to be my biggest stress reliever so I decided to take on an epic rework of the yard. This included completely gutting and rebuilding the flower beds, painting, sprinklers, organizing the garage, dump runs and so much more. After 8 hours a day for a month the mammoth task was complete. I must say the Zen of being focused on a physical activity definitely did the trick. The yard looks great and the free rent I was giving to my drama is now a vacant lot with an amazing view. Just FYI I can now sit back and enjoy my summer look out hammock!
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Its amazing how many people talk a good game but have little to show for it. Everything is about them and what they do or have done. In fact they barely remember your name or who you are and will gladly refresh your memory on their accomplishments at a moments notice. Do you know a person like this? I know plenty and often give the old nod and glassy eyed look as I hear more about nothing. Those people need to step up. If you step up then you are more engaged in what the other person is all about. Finding out about them not their stuff is really a great deal of fun. Its often said that small minds talk about people, events and gossip, while great minds talk about ideas. I think that their is some truth in that statement and no doubt that we all grow when we go forward in life together. So next time you meet a "Me Me" person interject an idea of serving others for the good of all and see if they follow you down this path to growth or get left behind. The company you keep either elevates or deflates the person you wish to become.
Its easy to be our own worst critic but difficult to be our greatest ally. When you have the opportunity to build yourself up or tear yourself down most people take the easiest route and go negative. If we loved ourselves unconditionally for the unique and awesome person we are the ability to love others freely would be simple. There will never be another you. There will never be another right now. There will never be a perfect moment or a "if only" that will make everything better. It is is all on your shoulders and whatever awesome sauce you bring today, I hope you brought enough for the whole class. Start small so you can go big and acknowledge your progress on your new adventure in learning to love and accept yourself. If you don't think you can do it your probably right, but if you believe the opposite than your right as well. The choice will always be yours and yours alone.
I think I may have heard that statement a million times in my teenage years, but they were right. In my recent Facebook post I talked about the power of meditation. Now before you roll your eyes or tune me out make sure you google famous people that use meditation. I'll wait.........................and there you go. If you have a lame excuse why you can't spend 10 minutes a day on meditation I think you should hang on to that excuse with all that you got. There are probably bigger problems to tackle then, stress reduction, physical and mental health, more energy, being kinder, letting little things go, loving your family more and so on. In fact I would guess that what ever you are facing keeps you successfully stuck in a painful yet comfortable situation and meditation would only move you beyond that comfortableness. Just food for thought. I will now remove my tongue from my cheek and get off my soap box so I can meditate.
I used to get jealous of others success when I was younger. In fact I used to think that successful people were super smart, or even worse they were given their "success". As I have grown as a person I have learned that their is enough success for everyone. In fact if some else can do it that means so can I. To even take it to another level, I have become excited to see other people grow and reach their dreams. Another persons success means that the only thing to ever stop me will be me. If you really are passionate about what you do and it provides a benefit to others than you have a great start to following your ambitions and dreams. Their are plenty of good ideas and services left in the world and the energy you bring to them will set you apart. Being jealous is never a good option, but the lessons we learn from our short comings are. As the old adage goes life doesn't happen to us, life happens for us.
I hope I am not the only one that feels this way! This last week in class we worked on a special Mat Chat called "Organization". Kind of a weird topic when it comes to martial arts, but a super important topic on succeeding in life. I used the analogy of wanting to open a donut shop on Mars. We tried to figure out everything we would need to start our business. A rocket ship, air, customers, donut mix, employees and on and on until we came up with every idea possible for our new venture. We then started to prioritize the most important things we would need first and it was pretty epic to see how my students think. In the end we related the topic to life and our future. We talked about how they can do amazing things in their life. We covered how to learn from others success and about starting small to learn how to grow big. The path became clear when we were specific in what we wanted to do and the people and business that could help us. Organization is not about shoes or pots and pans, but can also be about laying out our dreams in an order we can achieve them. In the end I saw everyone in class pick up on the idea that anything is possible!
Everybody has a bad day or so I have been told. I happened upon a really great article the other day that gave me new perspective on those bad days. Maybe it's not the whole day thats bad. Maybe it's just a few minutes of bad followed by a whole day of thinking about it? Often times it can be easier to latch on to one event and measure the rest of the day by it's impact. I think about all those brain freezes I used to get in the summer as a kid as I tried to eat a Slurpee at high speed. Now that definitely did not deter me from ever liking cold things again. Instead I think it took many more attempts for me to learn my lesson on how I react to high fructose fun and brain pain! The outcome of your emotions is always up to you. We have all had those moments of embarrassment or going splat in public only to have a friend seconds later making us laugh uncontrollably about our latest comedy routine (all while we are still in pain mind you). It's a choice how we react and how we behave in any moment. With that said we can turn on a dime to make our mood better for everyone at anytime. What magical powers we have at our fingertips during a bad day!
Today at our beautiful school I was cleaning the floors and bathrooms making sure it was the best it could be before class when my mind started to wander. I often find this type of work relaxing and meditative. I know weird right, but for me I can't relax until all the work is done and I give myself permission to stop. It's just my thing. I don't expect my family or friends to do the same or even understand. Its just my thing. As I was mopping I started to think about how this relates to our students and their future success. My students will meet many people over their lifetime that they will believe have their best interest in mind and some how be let down by those people. The drive to succeed has to be nurtured and a path laid out that they can go alone at some point. The old saying that leaders are born is not true in anyway shape or form. Leaders are made. Everyone has the potential to be a leader in different ways and in different industries. Hard work is not enough. Everyone works hard, but hustle is kind of a secret ingredient. For 25 years I have worked two jobs just so I could do what I love. Thats hustle my friends. Hard work is the act of doing your job to the best of your ability everyday. Hustle is the willingness to do everything and anything it takes to follow your dreams. I have hustle and so do my students. At some point in everyones training they decide to reevaluate if martial arts is right for them. The reason some one may have started martial arts at my school is learn karate, but the reason they stay is because they have that desire within themselves to be better than the norm. This can't be taught but instead encouraged. The world has changed and now everyone has a college degree working at the local ice cream shop. Thats the norm. When I was young that made you a superstar right off the bat. So what are you willing do to help yourself and your child succeed? I know what I will try and teach the students that stay with me. These students will have that secret ingredient they found for themselves, hustle.
Weird headline I know but if you only knew how true that statement is for about 70% of the students that sign up for our martial arts program. Now this statement primarily applies to children under ten and is a much more telling sign of the changes in our social environment. When I was a kid a summersault was just standard fun down any big hill or used in any potentially overly dramatic situation I just happen to be involved in at the time. You know like ditching your bike to avoid that impending crash on the nice fluffy side of the yard. In this moment of high adventure, you could show off your skills on the Captain Kirk Evasion roll or at the very least give your parents pause to wonder what was going on with you and your friends. I bet your wondering how I am going to spin this back to martial arts right? Well when children join our martial arts program its important for us to understand that the world has changed and what was and what is are two dramatically different things. In fact physical skill level and socializing are done completely differently now and thats not a bad thing, it just is. Rarely in my neighborhood do I see kids going down the block to a buddies house to play in the front yard. Its rare to see people tossing a football or rough housing with a sibling. I know that a lot of you are probably saying "see kids now a days............." and you would be wrong. Kids now a days are evolving with the constructs they need to move forward and through life. Thats neither right nor wrong it just is. The focus given to a particular facet of these changes whether to little or to much is the issue. Moderation in all things as the quote goes is key to balance in life. Physical fitness and overall health is important to getting the most out of what your child will invest their time in over the rest of their life. With all the distractions and things that via for you child's attention it is important to give them an outlet that gives them tools to navigate the real issues they will encounter in life. Thats why martial arts can go hand in hand with the ever changing social aspect and technological advancements and still be relevant, cool and fun all while providing an individual a path to their own personal success. Until next time take care, Master T
I think we have all heard or even (insert cringe) said those words "It's all about you" to somebody in our lifetime. We take that statement to be a judgement against others for being selfish in their words or actions. In fact you probably were right in your assessment of the situation but your delivery may have lacked a bit. So how does this topic relate to everyone else in society that holds the door for others, may be you let people cut in line at the buffet or even put your self out to avoid "one of those scenes" that makes you uncomfortable. Well step right up! I have some great news and a bit of insight to change how you perceive being selfish. First off, I am going to take off the kid gloves and let you have the real truth. It is all about you! Yep, I said it and I am going to post it on the inter web for all to see. It has to be about you in so many ways or you are doing the world a disservice by not being your best. Remember when you met someone for the first time and they seemed interesting, well put together, funny, charming, maybe in great shape or had something really unique about them? Thats what happens when you invest in yourself. You not only become those things to the 10X degree but your physiology changes to match your focus. Think about it. If you put yourself first when it came to your health where would you be in 6 months? If you read more books that excite you instead of watching television how would you feel? If you wore that funky jacket that everybody hates but you love it, does that add to your sense of self? None of these things is bad in and of themselves, they are only bad when the override or detract from your daily responsibilities. So now it looks like I am back peddling, but I'm not. Instead I am saying look through the spaces in the fence that keep you in your own backyard and limit you. Look at those spaces as small bites of time that you can use of to make your life "All About You! Finding the time for just you is unfathomably important and makes everyone around more appreciative of the person you are and not to mention how you will begin to perceive your own importance and unique gifts. So give it a try, be selfish and have a bit of fun!
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AuthorBrent Tibbetts (Me) Archives
November 2018
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