Have you ever noticed how some people always seem to have an unstoppable upbeat attitude and maintain a strong zest for life? Black Belt Leaders call this an Indomitable Spirit. It’s that extra energy and enthusiasm they put into everything they do.
Besides a powerful non-quitting spirit, they have a tremendous hunger and drive for their Martial Arts and for personal growth and development. This spirit is a positive energy force that shows their passion, you can see it in their eyes, you can hear it in their voice, and you can feel it whenever you’re around them. A person with this spirit is always more ambitious than the average person. They are also more likely to accomplish more, take more action and be very achievement-oriented. They are far less likely to get discouraged, because they are better conditioned and prepared to handle the setbacks that they encounter. They always influence others in a positive fashion. Their enthusiasm and optimism becomes contagious to others.
It’s been said that enthusiasm is contagious, so is the lack of it. Wouldn’t you rather be a person that brings others up to higher levels of excellence, instead of the person that drags people down to mediocrity?
Any great achiever and certainly true Martial Arts Champions, live with gratitude everyday. It’s not just a once a year expression or celebration, it’s a daily habit. When you live with gratitude and consistently express it to the people that love and support you, as well as the universe we all live in, you’re likely to attract more of the things you are most grateful for. There are so many things to be grateful for in life. Whether it’s the love of a family member, a great friendship, a caring mentor, good health or some of the many things we could easily take for granted.
We all live in a country filled with abundance and that isn’t always the case in other areas of the world. We live a life of freedom and choice. Again, not always the case in other parts of the world. We enjoy clean water, electricity, good food and a beautiful dojo to train in. We are surrounded everyday in class by great people, caring people, helpful people, that are all here to help us grow and achieve our best…in the dojo and in life. How did we get so lucky? I hope you’ll make Living with Gratitude one of your daily habits of excellence.
Did you know that Happiness is a choice? Everyday, you and I get to choose to be happy or we can choose to be miserable. We get to choose the way we greet our family, friends and the rest of the world around us. You can either put a smile on your face and greet people in a happy and friendly manner, or you can frown and act miserable. The attitude we display to the rest of the world often determines what type of attitude comes back at us.
If you treat others in a kind, polite and friendly manner, they are likely to respond back in a similar fashion. Not everyone will appreciate your happiness, but most people will. No matter what language you speak, a smile is universal in the way it can impact and influence those around you. Have you ever watched people’s face when a baby cracks a big smile at them? It causes an almost instant smile back and feelings of joy. There will always be some people that have such a miserable attitude that even you and I won’t get them to smile back. Who cares? Never let that influence your attitude. Keep smiling and move on before you catch their negativity disease.
Happiness is a choice. Champions choose to spread their joy and happiness in a positive and sincere manner. There will be some days that you have to “fake it until you make it.” That’s okay…your human. The more you practice anything, the easier it becomes. It’s no different with sharing your happiness. Most people have grown accustomed to sharing the negatives of life. Your goal should be to do exactly the opposite. Always be ready to share the good news. Whether it’s how good you feel, how much you love your work or how much you love your Martial Arts. Think about all the things in life you enjoy the most, put a smile on your face and get in the habit of spreading your joy and happiness!
As the year draws to an end, it is a good time to reflect on all of our accomplishments and personal victories. We have had many this year and it is in no small part due to all our collective efforts:
- We welcomed 21 new students (10 adults & 11 kids)
- We achieved record participation at the Black Belt Camp (29 students)
- We achieved record participation at the New England Championships (29 students)
- We promoted 6 students to Cho-Dan, 1 to Sam-Dan
- We promoted our first youth students (under 12 years old) to Junior Black Belts
I am very grateful for everybody’s contribution and support as we continue to build Cambridge Tang Soo Do. The old saying, “together, everyone achieves more”, is surely true in this case. As a TEAM, we were able to accomplish some great things. I look forward to more of the same in 2015.
I would like to thank everyone for all your continued support, dedication and loyalty!!! The sky is the limit and with your help we will go very far. Keep up the great work and know you are appreciated.
Tang Soo!!!