Control

I tell all my students that a black belt has to be a control freak. I’m not talking about controlling others, just controlling yourself. If I am in control, then I am responsible. The perspective of responsibility empowers me to change what needs to be changed and achieve anything I want to achieve.

Controlling inner dialogue is Important. My thoughts are always trying to betray me. It’s not natural to stay in a horse stance until exhaustion. We’re psychologically and physiologically built to conserve energy. Instinctually it is wise to keep a little something in the gas tank just in case a predator comes over that hill. Most of us are living at the top of the food chain but the survival instinct perseveres regardless.

Staying aware of those inner thoughts and recognizing them allows me to deal with them as they come up and control them. This allows me to make positive choices. I always have an excess of excuses to take it easy and set tomorrow up as the day that I am going to really buckle down and make things happen. Whether or not I choose to succumb to allowing an excuse to dictate my course of action is an indication of my level of control.

For me structure is the key. When I have structure in place, inner dialogue has less of a voice. I don’t really have to analyze, I just have to do. Structure is self perpetuating. The more you follow it, the easier it gets.

“You can not always control circumstances, but you can control your own thoughts.” - Charles Popplestown