Got attitude, have you?
Tuesday 02 August 2022
No problem if it's a positive attitude. In the Dojo, as in Life, there are only two clear paths - winners and losers. But here's the contradiction - most winners only get there by losing. It's the commitment to get up and go again that matters. Success is guaranteed if you persist. Albert Einstein said Persistence is the most powerful force on earth
. So here are some tips.
When you're down, get up again. It's easy to get knocked down. And it's easy to stay down. Winners don't give up, they get up. It's a simple and effective philosophy - use failure to your advantage - each failure is a milestone on the road to success. Take some time to analyse why you failed. What mistakes did you make? What can you learn from them? Those who don't face these realities are burying their heads in the sand and learning nothing.
The more you learn, the less you know. If that sounds strange, it means that the more the veil of ignorance is lifted from your eyes, the bigger the world of knowledge appears, and you realise you will always be learning. This is why people with great wisdom always appear so modest.
The belt system is a great motivator, because it gives you attainable goals, and each belt marks an achievement. But as in the Dojo, so in Life. It can be a rewarding exercise to invent a 'belt system' for yourself in your personal or business life. Planning your future with 'grades' is a great way to set personal goals. Award yourself another 'belt' each time you achieve one of your goals.
People often stress the importance of focus. Clearly, it's good to focus on your opponent when you're training or sparring. But remember, "the more you focus, the less you see". This means, don't turn focus into an obsession. Learn to switch it on and off. In between the focus moments, open up your mind, look around you, behind you, listen to other points of view.
Saying something's impossible is easy. The great Bruce Lee said When you say something is impossible, you make it impossible
. At the same time, however, you sometimes have to pick your battles. For example, it won't do you much good standing in front of a train thundering towards you and believing you can knock it off its tracks with a deadly blow. It's understanding the difference between the impossible and the improbable. The loser is always ready to turn the improbable into the impossible. The winner will sometimes have a go at the improbable, perhaps get defeated the first few times, but keep coming back until the improbable is overcome.