Don't Let Your Ego Stop You-Martial Art Journey #5

Keep your ego in check and your eye on your goal. This applies to success in martial arts and just about anything else. How so?

I can’t tell you the number of times I have screwed up simply because I let my ego get in the way of things. In another words, I often times have been my own worst enemy because I lost focus of my goal.

Approximately 10% of all people that enroll in martial arts actually obtain a Black Belt. A good Master or Instructor will challenge a student in character building traits when he reaches the higher belt ranks.

During belt testing, sometimes I was tested in self-discipline and temperament. Normally during testing for a higher belt, there is a lot of pressure and tension. During special challenging moment for me, the Instructor would say something to me that he knew would really piss me off.

I soon learned to swallow my pride and bite my tongue and take the criticism in a positive manner. I did this because I wanted to pass the belt test and please my Master. This self restraint and discipline soon becomes a habit. I wanted that Black Belt very much. And, I was determined not to screw up my chances of getting it, by blurting out some stupid thing at the moment-like loose my temper.

Not realizing it at the time; but, this was excellent training for other aspects of life. Self-control for business client interaction or just plain getting along with people. In fact, I felt that getting a Black Belt was equivalent to getting a Phd degree in Self-Control.Traditional Training

One of the end results of my martial art journey was learning to keep my ego in control. In another words, making my emotions work for me, rather than against me.Get What You Want