Perseverance - Excuses No More

These are the lessons I'm learning.

perseverance.

It's summer time. The Dojo floor has a roof that makes the space VERY hot. On the floor are two 5th Dan Karetekas, two 4th Dans and two Senpais. And then - there is me.

The 'longest-standing- green-belt-going-on-black-don't-come-often-enough-to-ever-make-it-to-a-promotion-forever-re-learning-each-kata-driving-ever-patient-Hanshi(GrandMaster)-crazy'.

It's tough going keeping up. So after about an hour, and while I'm learning a challenging new kata...I start to fumble with tiredness. There is a blister on my left toe. My ankle is strained. My perseverance is fading. Mentally I start wishing the class would end.

The Senpai teaching, is pouring every ounce of energy he has in to me...

...and he is patient with my mistakes...the same mistakes I just made the last six times I did it.

In THIS moment, I catch myself.

AAAAH...

...right here I'm having an excuse attack. One of the excuses Wayne Dyer lists in his book Excuses Begone, is "I'm too tired."

I notice my lack of appreciation for the effort the teacher is putting into me. Again and again and AGAIN he asks me to do the steps. I notice Laziness steps in....and my focus wanes. I opened the door to Laziness you see. I start thinking about strawberries.

In such excuse attacks, my friend Wayne asks, "Is it true?"

"Am I really tired?", I ask myself. "Are my muscles truly in pain?" "Is this THAT difficult?"

NO NO and NO.

It's just my mind. It's the same mind that simply loves the 'couch potato' dojo for training - in how to be an overweight, unfit or my favorite past time - the 'Pity Party Slacker'.

"STOP" I thought. It wasn't a shout. Just firm.

"Choose to be energised Jo. Perseverance. You have inside you an Indomitable Spirit.

Indomitable Spirit .

Make it so. Choose to be so present, that you overcome this moment."

And it happened...

...I stopped fumbling...

...suddenly I flowed right through the kata. In each movement, I was the Dragon Warrior (yes, that very one from the film

'Kung Fu Panda'. (If you haven't seen it, give yourself a treat.)

I overcame the most FEARED enemy. That same enemy that is your enemy. That complaining mind of mine and yours, that we all too often, give power to.

But not today. Today I was bigger. Today I let SPIRIT be my strength. This TOO can become habit.

Habits are the natural results of repeated action. And actions are a result of thinking. You can tell a lot about your thinking patterns by looking at your HOW you do things. What you are 'pushing' yourself to do - is not that different - to what are you are avoiding.

When you think in a CERTAIN way, natural action will follow. I learned this from Rebecca Fine, who runs The Science of Getting Rich Program. It was one of the single most powerful lessons I was ever to learn. I took my mind for training. Everyday. Three years later - my life looked completely different.

When was the last time you took your mind for training. Any repeated pattern that is harming you - can and WILL be transformed if you put your MIND to it, with FAITH in your Highest Power. Notice your thinking. Become super aware of excuses. "I'm tired", "This is too hard", "People don't give me a chance", "I don't have enough time, knowledge, money."

On the dojo floor during exercises like push ups we must repeat a saying -

"Osu no se shin" which means "the spirit of never quitting."

It's in the top ten of leadership skills and qualities to develop. And if you don't have perseverance yet, you CAN teach yourself.