Don’t Quit!
Some time back, Les Bubka asked if I would contribute one rule to his free “10 Rules for Success” e-book. Les is a good friend and an awesome martial artist who drives the Karate for Mental Health movement forward, not just in the UK, but throughout Europe. You should check him out.
I thought you might like to read my offering, and if you enjoy it, you should check out the rest of his book 👍
DON’T QUIT!
When Les asked me if I wanted to contribute to this worthy project, I was honoured; I also thought “What a great idea, should be simple enough”... but as we all know, just because something is simple doesn’t mean that it is going to be easy! Restricting the content to only one “rule for success” is a difficult task indeed! Many of the rules I follow do in fact overlap, each strengthening the other by creating a matrix of interlocking ideas and principles in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts... but I will do my best to make some sort sense of it as I write! I hope that you enjoy my offering... and if you don’t, you can always blame Les for asking me to contribute in the first place!
Life is often tough on us, but this past year (2020) has been extra tough on everybody; we’ve been kept apart from our family and friends, many of us have lost loved ones, the self employed face the financial burden of trying to keep their businesses afloat, uncertain whether they can survive another lockdown, the employed wondering if they will still have a job on the other side! The impact on the worlds mental well-being has been immense during this time of uncertainty.
Staying positive about the things we can control and/or change and having the strength to accept the things that we can’t is probably as good a starting point as any.
I pondered what would be the best piece of advice that I could offer to my self, prior to the start of this pandemic, if I had the opportunity. After some consideration I decided that it would be to not give up - don’t quit! No matter what the odds - real or perceived!
By picturing what you want to achieve - and along with it the positive steps or actions you can take towards reaching your goals - you will bring about a clarity of focus; this clearer image will help you further refine and sharpen your vision. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you acknowledge the positive steps already taken in your chosen direction, as this will be essential in building the momentum you need, and will in turn encourage you to keep moving forwards. In essence, give yourself a pat on the back for what you’ve achieved rather than scold yourself for what you haven’t! Acknowledge it and move on.
Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter when - or even if - you reach your goal; if you don’t, you just keep moving towards it, and if you do, you just set a new one. The important thing is not to fixate on what can possibly go wrong (a case of putting “the cart before the horse” if you will) but to instead focus on what could go right as you continue to move towards the desired outcome! Of course there will be set backs, nothing runs smoothly forever, if things do go wrong, just don’t quit! If things start to get tough, remind yourself that everything changes in time; the good, the bad, and the ugly!
Please understand that giving up or “quitting” is not the same thing as recognising that something has run it’s course and it is time for a change of direction. Nor is it the same as acknowledging that something just isn’t right and that you need to take the appropriate steps to change it... sometimes the goals we set and the dreams we aspire to aren’t actually what we really want (we just think they are) and it may take a while to realise that.
There is a wonderful quote from the late Zig Ziglar, a well known and inspirational motivational speaker from the USA, who asks “Have you ever climbed the ladder of success and found that you’ve put the ladder up against the wrong wall?”. Constantly re-evaluate, don’t be afraid to revise your targets if you need to. You can even scrap them and start again if necessary, supported by the valuable lessons garnered from your previous endeavours!
For me, there are a few things that I do that help me to maintain a level of discipline as I attempt to face life’s challenges. These range from reading, watching and listening to inspirational literature and podcasts (there’s plenty out there to choose from), maintaining a training regime - and of equal importance, staying connected with likeminded people who are on a similar journey and who can share their experiences with you - and you with them.
So what does the future hold in store for us all? Nobody knows for sure - we didn’t know before the pandemic and we don’t know now. I have a small full time dojo where I teach, train, study and meditate - it has been a sanctuary through the good times and the bad. Will the dojo survive as we continue to deal with an uncertain future? I don’t know, but honestly if it does have to close, I know I will still be teaching, training, studying and meditating , it will just not be within that space any more.
Okay, so my “one rule” has blurred around the edges a bit, but hopefully you will still get the point. I salute to Les Bubka for coming up with the idea for this project, and acting as its curator, a difficult job in which he has to bring all the different strands together. It wouldn’t have happened without him and I am really looking forward to reading the other contributions.
Remember - stay positive and don’t quit!
Don Came
