BLACK BELT INSIGHT (from the April 2020 Newsletter)
HOW TO GROW UP
Improving in your Martial Arts Training requires developing your balance. Just like it takes good balance to correctly throw kicks and punches to defend yourself effectively, you also need balance in your life. Whether it’s balancing your time or balancing your priorities, keeping your everyday life “in balance” means having the discipline and maturity to build good character, keep yourself in order, and “bring out the best in yourself and others.”
Here are some tips to help you develop maturity:
Take Control of Your Own Life
Many of the decisions you make and actions you take that affect your life are up to you! Take charge of the things that you can control and learn to let go of things that are out of your control. Mature people are in control of their own lives and don’t give up when things don’t go right.
Accept Responsibility
When you have a job to do and others are counting on you, the one who needs to get it done is you. When you make a mistake, it’s up to you to admit it and work on making things right. If something’s not your fault, you don’t need to fix everything, but you should still work on building your courage and your maturity to step up and do the right thing.
Contain Your Emotions
When you have strong feelings about something, you need to know when to act on them and when to wait until the time is right. To develop yourself in a positive manner, you need to work on developing the maturity to control your actions, no matter how you feel.
Keep Things in Perspective
When things don’t go according to plan, make sure you “step back” and look at each situation realistically. Ask yourself, “What’s really going on here?” and, “How does this situation really affect me?” Before deciding whether something is good or bad, people of maturity can look at all sides and get the “big picture.”
Deepen Your Understanding
When situations are difficult or don’t seem to make sense, make your best effort to learn all the facts so you can get the best understanding of things. Mature individuals work on understanding other people to learn the true reasons why they do what they do. Knowing what’s really going on helps you take the best action or – if needed – no action at all.
A good sign that you’re becoming more mature is when you’re taking responsibility for yourself, taking charge of your own life, and working on seeing the world as it really is. When you keep a positive attitude and maintain balance in your everyday life, you’re ready to rise to many of the challenges that come your way!