“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” — Reggie Leach

Reginald Joseph Leach (born April 23, 1950 in Riverton, Manitoba, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey winger who played in the NHL between 1970 and 1983.

To often we wait for success to come to us.  We feel it is out of reach or that the success of others is based largely on luck.  We make excuses for our state in life or why we haven’t attained our goals, our dreams.  If you have ever done that, you are a loser.  I say that as a fellow loser who has made more than his fair share of excuses and who probably will make more in the future.  Regardless loser’s we are.  Of course there are legitimate excuses in life but they only go so far before they become crutches.  Everyone has tunnel vision when it comes to their own life and no one likes to admit they are the problem.  If you want to break this loser cycle you need to be a little harder on yourself, not abusive but instructor hard or drill Sargent hard!  Basically you have to stop making excuses, stop feeling sorry for yourself or inadequate and start trying your best and being happy with that.  If you do this everyday, every minute of every day then you will always be successful, for even in your failures you will grow and learn.

Only through hard work does success come, to bad we like to make excuses.  I just watched “The Cowboys” with John Wayne, there is a scene where a kid who stutters is trying to tell John Wayne his friend is drowning.  The drowning friend is saved.  But what happens next would make most people call Child Services and coddle the young stutterer, John Wayne belittles and humiliates him in front of his friends telling him he almost got his friend killed and asking why he didn’t speak up.  Of course the boy tries to explain he can’t help his stutter, Wayne doesn’t let him off the hook, but makes the point, if that had been him the the water he would of yelled loud and clear.  The kid gets so upset he swears a litany with nary a stutter.  He’s cured from that point forward.  My point isn’t that we should pick on people but we should hold them to a higher standard.  There is nothing wrong with expecting boys to become men when necessity calls.  There is also nothing wrong with telling someone they don’t measure up and that they can’t do activity X just because it would be construed as mean or discriminatory.

We all need someone like Wayne to put things in perspective for us, to make us mad enough to prove them wrong and in the process accomplish what we thought impossible.  Unfortunately those men (and women) are far and few between and will remain that way until we start to hold ourselves to a higher standard.  Expect success regardless of the outcome, meaning if you can look yourself in the eye and say I did my best, with no “if only’s” then you are doing well.  Expect more of yourself but never abuse yourself.

So what are you waiting for, go seek success it won’t come looking for you and it will never happen spontaneously!

In her book, entitled Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal, Ayn Rand wrote, “In any collaboration between two men (or two groups) who hold different basic principles, it is the more evil or irrational one who wins.” In a compromise between life and death, freedom and slavery, good and evil, only the latter group can win. [Source]

I’ve been thinking about this topic for some time but when I saw the above passage the topic crystallized for me.  We live in a world of constant compromise.  Compromise is an important part of life as it helps us deal with others but is there such a thing as to much compromise?  Of course.  Compromising about what is for dinner or where we go on vacation are normal compromises.  But what happens when a situation or person requires you to compromise on your basic principles?

Hopefully you have formed basic principles before being asked to compromise it, though my experience has been, that most people do not form their principles until faced with a situation.  This of course usually leads to the path of least resistance where people end up standing on and defending principles or beliefs they have never truly contemplated.  They defend these positions militantly as to do otherwise would mean they were somehow wrong.  People avoid dealing with the uncomfortable which is the tool most employed by those seeking a compromise!  Discomfort is the primary tool of peer-pressure one of the most dangerous forms of compromise.  Peer-pressure usually moves a child or teen or even adult to act against the basic principles (or morals) of their families.

As a martial artist it is important that we introspect and determine who we are and what we stand for, only then can we stand with a quiet mind in the face of adversity.  As martial arts instructors we must help our students see that compromise of basic principles without serious consideration is a negative for it often leads to the wrong path.  Basically we want our youth to stand on a strong foundation so when faced with choice they are certain of what is the right path.  Someone once said, “Everyone knows what is right from what is wrong”  the problem is doing what is right is hard it is much easier to lie to ourselves or blame others for our choices.

There is nothing wrong with understanding your beliefs and principles and standing by them, in fact that is a quality to be admired.  One must also make sure their understanding is based on a solid foundation.  To often our youth choose the wrong path in life, whether it is drugs, promiscuity or delinquent behavior, simply because no one has helped them understand their actions, or even served as a proper role model.  The hardest part to teach is that often standing on your principles and against compromise is never easy, popular or outwardly rewarding.  But there is something to be said for leaving a room with your chin up knowing you faced compromise in the eyes and held your ground.  Remember you no one wants to be caught in a compromising situation!

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.  The mind is everything.  What we think we become.” — Buddha

I am no Buddhist, to the contrary I am a Christian but this quote resonates within me.  Those that question this quote should think about the life of Helen Keller since her existence was almost entirely restricted to her inner space, her mind.  In reflecting on this quote you need to ask yourself, what do you think about?

I’ll leave you with this additional thought, every year, every 365 days we have an entirely new body.  It is true in the process of one year ever cell in your body dies and is replaced.  If our bodies are as dynamic as I think perhaps our thoughts can help to influence the outcome…

Think deep thoughts, employ critical thinking and seek the Truth…

What if today was it?
Would I be content?
Would I have sorrow and regret in my heart?
Or would I feel content and happy?
Have I done my best?
Could I have done more?
What was our last kiss like?

Yes, my life revolves around your kiss.
Your kisses can make me soar to new heights
I feel your love and passion in your kiss
I feel your disappointment and disdain too
It isn’t a one sided thing, no, no.
Sometimes we forget that this could be the last kiss.
Sometimes we let petty things bind our lips.
Too often we just take them for granted.
Light my soul and send me on my way
Prepare me for a new day and help me soar away
Give me a memory I can never forget
Because this could be our one last kiss…

– Sensei Mitch S.

Happy Valentine’s Day

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

These words are not my own but the meaning is from the heart.  Despite having a normal life with normal complaints I am truly blessed.  Everyday is a new day for me, a gift if you will.  I try very hard to remember that everyday but during this season especially.  This year my heart is full of thanks, mostly for my family.

As a martial artist I have the honor of running a club that is finishing it’s 36th year of continuous operation!!  My Father started the club in 1973 and I am grateful that I have been able to continue the tradition he began.

I asked God to take away my pain. God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, No. Her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience. God said, No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations. It isn’t granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness. God said, No. I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain. God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, No. I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as he loves me. God said, Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

“If the body is the limit,
the spirit can go even further.”

Shigeru Egami

There are dangers in learning to control your Self.  As Martial Artists we strive to control our physical, mental and spiritual selves.  Obviously this is a perpetual journey since to be in total control of those three aspects of your life is first impossible however it’s pursuit requires never ending practice.  Religious beliefs aside, even the Dali Lama must practice everyday is disciplines, ironic for those with wit, yes, but never the less it makes the point that practice needs to be a way of life if we are ever to approach perfection.  But as I stated there is a danger, one I know to well.  With every skill we gain comes responsibility, to others and to ourselves.  In learning to control our Self in any or all of the three areas that control can be used for good or for bad purposes.  The bad purposes for personal gain by harming others seem pretty self explanatory so I will skill that discussing.  Let’s face it if you don’t get that part then anything I write surely isn’t going to dissuade your misguided life.  But what bad purposes can we apply the skills we gain to controlling our Selves that could cause personal harm?  Simply stated by using them to facilitate self-abuse.  I am speaking from personal experience now.  I have used what I have learned in the Martial Arts for a lot of good but I have also used much of what I have learned to compensate for some of my personal weaknesses.  In my case physical (health) weaknesses.  This is something that I am just now acknowledging though I have known it for a long time.  My purpose here is to ask you to reflect on your own actions in perspective to mine.  Currently I am healthy and have been for a long time now, however I have bad habits from when my health was less than good.  During that time in my life my body was very limited in what it could handle but my mind and my spirit wanted more.  I learned through self-control that I could use my mind and spirit to override my body’s weaknesses.  I learned to push myself well beyond it’s natural limits, obviously this came with a price.  For me, five major surgeries, 28 weeks *in* the hospital and countless more time recovering at home.  That life is fortunately behind me and with Jesus’ blessing it will stay behind me yet I know how to push my body to extreme exhaustion and through significant pain.  Some might think this a great thing and in the short term they might be right.  I imagine that is the ability that Silvester Stallone envisioned when he created the Rocky character.  But what if Rocky applied that ability to every aspect of his life?  Whether out of necessity or not it could become a detrimental habit. And as we Martial Artists know all to well it often takes far longer to overcome a bad habit or incorrectly learned technique then it does to just learn it correctly the first time.  I’m happy to say that I’m living proof that you can succeed and in doing so learn to use your skills for the good of yourself and others.  But like everything else it takes practice, perseverance and self-awareness.

Now I know that is not what Shigeru Egami meant in the above quote but the truth is that while the spirit can go further than the limits of the body, the body can easily be driven past its limits by the will of the spirit.  As I’ve outlined there is a danger in this however it is also a necessary ingredient in the life of a Champion, my goal is to turn my focus on improving my life as a Champion not a chump!

Previously I posted the meaning of the Brown Belt, the first of three brown belts in our Dojo.  I’ve been thinking about this for a while now and have written a different perspective of the meaning here that flows from the meaning presented for the previous two belts.  Here is the revisited meaning, post a comment with your opinion on both:

Now the brown represents the deep brown of fertile soil, so rich it almost looks black.  Ever more fertile the soil works with the heat of the Sun to push the plants growth.  Now a source of nutriment the student needs little assistance in this final step of training.  The training at this stage is just as arduous yet seems easier to the student.  There is a synergy of the physical and mental aspects of the art, things are clearer and seen from many perspectives.  The student is becoming a master.  At this stage there is usually one task left to perfect, one task that is unique to the student.  Like a fertile plot of land in the middle of the wilderness gone is the similarity as they stand distinct from their surroundings.   The student is higher in rank, he/she acquires more detailed knowledge and so the brown belt student learns to be more cautious and humble as his/her knowledge and physical abilities increase.

There is little that needs to be said on this said day.  Let us all reflect today on the blessings we have in our lives and remember the importance of protecting against those who would harm us.