"A" Is For Attitude

I have spent the past week helping my upcoming I Ho Chuan (Student UBBT) team prepare for the year long challenge that is going to begin on January 23, 2012 - Year of the Dragon. Many of the team became intimidated and filled with self doubt when they considered the scope of the requirements that lay before them. A few became frustrated when their strategy of only choosing personal requirements they were guaranteed of fulfilling was rejected by me.

There is an elegance behind Tom Callos’ Ultimate Black Belt Test that is easy to overlook. Every program requirement and challenge plays an integral role in ensuring the success of the participant. Whether the curriculum is making you more aware or helping you stay engaged, all serve a purpose.The best way to approach the curriculum requirements is to view each as a tool to assist you achieve mastery. I have found some people immediately interpret a requirement as a hoop they must jump through as opposed to the ladder it actually is. Just a small change of attitude can change the entire aspect of the challenge.

The UBBT has taught me a lot about kung fu and success, and all of that knowledge has come to me experientially. I have always known that a bunch of small things add up to a single big thing, logic dictates that. However, logical or not, that knowledge does not empower you until you put it into action and experience the rewards.

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference" - Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)