I have been through a lot in my lifetime when it comes to my training. I think I have tried every shortcut I could think of when it comes to kung fu; only to face the ultimately reality that I had wasted more time trying to save time. There are no shortcuts to mastery.
My experience has given me a lot of empathy for my students and what they face. Mastery is not an easy journey. The self doubt, the negative self-talk, the long hours - everything seems to be against you.
The common response to the overwhelming magnitude of the mastery journey is withdrawal and avoidance. We avoid thinking about the positives and withdraw from engaging ourselves in the very activities that we know to be beneficial. Our negative self-talk convinces us that the value of what we seek is not worth the investment of our time and sweat.
When we are going through difficult times we tend to disengage - the exact opposite strategy we should be using. Not avoiding but rather pushing ourselves to engage has a positive snowball effect on our attitude. Our perspective clears and clarity returns to our vision and our thoughts. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done.
I am extremely passionate about kung fu because it has changed my life. Everything I have is due to kung fu. I know it will change the life of anyone who embraces the art and I have dedicated the last thirty years to help people realize their potential.
Unfortunately I can only do so much. Being eager to help is only part of the solution. Engagement is necessary to access help.
“He was a self-made man who owed his lack of success to nobody.” - Joseph Heller (1923 - 1999)
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