Daily Success Tips

Living the Martial Way

Living as a warrior is about getting a little bit better each day.  Not a lot better, but just a little.  Making this self improvement a habit.  I have often spoken about C.A.N.I. (Constant and Never Ending Improvement). It's not that hard to apply this into your life.  All it takes is a bit of self-discipline to place your focus on personal growth.  How do we do this?

Read a little more each day, listen to educational audio's each day and also associate with others who are on the same quest for growth.  Like you guard your body and your mind, guard your senses, what you watch, what you read and what and who you listen to.  Train physical fitness daily even if just for 20 minutes, whether that's going for a walk, a bike ride, swimming, or the home gym.  Meditate daily for 10-30 minutes.  Practice daily on yourself to improve as a person, have written short and long term goals and speak out loud your daily affirmations.  Everyone has something they need to improve in their character. No one is perfect.  Are you fast to temper?  Do you easily judge others?  Are you overly sensitive?  The list can go on and on, but you and only you know what you need to improve upon.  We all know what is right and what is truthful, stay the course, if you step off the path just get back on it.  Change is the one thing that stays the same, be the change you want to see.

Everything is a practice!  No one is 100% patient, positive, happy, confident, etc.  Roll with the punches, if you fall get back up, the hit and the fall hurts but rise up and move forward.  Sometimes suffering builds character and resolve.  One must choose the trait they want to sharpen and focus on it daily.  Lets take patience as an example.  If you want to become more patient all that you must do is practice patience. How?  Well, you just decide and commit to showing more patience in situations that would normally bug you.  While in that situation remind yourself that you are practicing patience and that you will not let this event bother you.  Use a role model to place in your focus.  Think of another like Buddha or Jesus or anyone you want and think how they would act.  How would he/she handle this situation?  This will give you some perspective to assist you in the practice.  Pretty much every trait that you want to improve upon can be dealt with this same way.

Look, choosing personal betterment is tough!  It's way easier to just be like most of the population... mediocre!  If that's what makes you happy, go for it!  But to take the road of a warrior means that you have chosen to practice "Excellence."  This excellence is an attitude that you have chosen to practice daily.  First you must learn about each trait of a warrior in order to know what you must practice.  If you really want to learn how to live like a warrior, read "Living the Martial Way" by Forrest E. Morgan.  A text for living like a warrior.

I will give you some of the things that I have done for decades that have assisted me in my quest for personal growth.  I will set out 12 books yearly that I feel will help me to grow and I will read one a month. I will commit myself to reading that book no matter what.  I also make it a commitment to listen to educational audio's in my car.  I will also make the time daily (30-60 min.) to view a video on martial arts training. "Beginners Mind", always learning and improving is the environment of a dojo, especially for the instructors.  I will train on average daily for 2 hours.  One may think that training is exercise...  Not always! Training doesn't always need to be intense.  In exercise I do Posting, Taijiquan, Qigong, forms, classical weapons and other days I will weight train, some days I will do light cycling and other days I will row.  I practice Yoga weekly and seated meditation daily.  I find that the internal practice helps me to become more peaceful and positive.  These attributes are crucial to teach to our children, we must lead by example and show them how hard work pays off.  Family, culture, community, one's practice and one's chosen faith but all be held to highest standards, 

Our children are the future and they need good role-models now more so then ever.  Like our role-models our teachers who taught us the difference between right and wrong and successful actions, we must pass on these virtues to our children.  We must show the importance of keeping a strong healthy body, an educated mind, daily chores and goals, and let them see you living the Martial Way. 

It's not that complicated to really live as a warrior, you must have a warrior mindset.  All it takes is a little planning and a little daily action.  Remember: "Failing to plan is planning to fail."  Pick your 12 books (make sure Living the Martial Way is on top).  Decide and commit to follow through.  Don't make excuses...  Just do it and you will have taken some steps that will guide you to becoming even better than you were these past few years.

Train Hard, Train Smart & Finish Healthy,

Sifu Jeff Hughes