You and I face hard times. 2020 is an unusual year, at the least! One thing that I know about hard times, however, is that they drive me to find new and innovative ways to find opportunity and success. That is not to diminish the difficulty of hard times. Struggles are painful and depleting. They push you to places you do not want to go and force you to make life-changing decisions when you are not ready. Unfortunately, you face these moments at some time in your life. It may be in big or small ways, and whether it is 2020 or any other year, you cannot always prepare or predict what is going to happen.
The question is, how do you cope and resurrect from the chaos?
Take a moment and think of your favorite “success” moment. If you are a martial artist, obtaining a new rank or black belt may be this moment. Or, your defining success moment is when you were at the very top of your game in a professional or family situation. Why is that success moment so important? It is important because you worked so hard for it. You pushed and prodded to try new things, practice difficult skills, and face new obstacles. In the process, you passed the threshold of what you THINK you can do into what you KNOW you can do. It is based on facts, effort and determination, not on emotions or fears. Defining success moments are factual and they represents the truth of who you are.
Some, like me, have to overcome mental barriers before finding success, like when I could not break a board with a jump front kick because I did not believe I could. Or, when I thought pregnancy was going to stop me from practicing martial arts or testing for my 2nd degree. Or, maybe it was when I was so nervous driving to a belt test that I almost considered turning back home. Somehow, I overcame all. I used positive thoughts and positive talk to pull me out of the depths of worry to a place where I gave my all and eventually found success.
I had other issues, too. They include miscarriages, a troubled pregnancy, living off the grid for five years because of a house construction project gone bad, financial woes, and personal losses. No one’s life is perfect and everyone experiences difficult times and fears whether they are ready or not.
Martial arts taught me to apply martial art lessons and mindset to life. As I emerged from each difficult personal issue, I applied the determination and perseverence that I learned from my martial art training to the experience. Then, I pushed the boundaries even further by sharing my stories with you so you can know that you are not alone and that if I can use a martial art mindset to overcome, so can you. I would not have created my blog, books, become a magazine columnist, a podcast, or a thriving social media outreach….if not for the difficult times. They are the stories I share over and over and they make a difference. You do not know how life will turn out, but your mindset will sway you one way or another.
The truth is, I found opportunity from within and emerged more whole than ever.
Things do not always turn out as planned. It is heartbreaking to see martial art schools and other businesses close due to unforseen circumstances. While I do not have a school right now, I understand the devastation and I have had my share of unforseen events gone bad. As mentioned earlier, a one-year house build turned into five years of living off the grid for me. I had no electricity except for a generator that was used sporadically for five years. It was a very difficult time. Today, that story is the first chapter of my book, The Martial Arts Woman. The opportunity to tell my story presented itself and I took it. I told the story that others need to hear: You are not alone and you will overcome.
Wherever you are in your journey today, you have a story from which you can build your future. Maybe you do not have the patience to share it in words, like I do, but you can share it through a renewed perspective when you re-open your school, or in making new decisions for the future. Your story might be how how you see martial art training as more than just physical, now. You may talk to others and share your insights on how to overcome loss and look forward again. You may simply be a listening ear or someone who inspires others to move forward. With strength and hope you can emerge with a renewed appreciation and desire for success. There is no giving up. Not for a martial artist and not for you. There is opportunity and you must find it.
This does not diminish the difficulties and unexpected life changes you are facing today. Instead, it is a reminder that you are going to experience the unexpected. You need to trudge through the mud for a while until you find an open space again. Opportunity means that you find that open space at the end, that blank canvas, and create again.
Martial artists are students, instructors, and school owners. They also often have other careers, families, and responsibilities. The reason that they love martial arts is because it gives them an opportunity to improve and apply what they learn to life. Why do you practice a martial art or a martial art mindset? Is it because it is a passion and purpose that you never knew existed until you began training? Passion and purpose = opportunity.
Martial artists defend. They don’t back down from assailants, no matter what type – a real person or a situation. Martial artists know better than to give up. Instead, they redirect the attack ever so slightly and create an opening for escape. That opening is available for but a second, yet they change the entire landscape of the situation in their favor.
Martial artists find new and innovative ways to find success. Today, online martial art classes and connecting with others via online platforms is the alternative. It does not replace the school, but it creates a viable temporary alternative for some. Who knows where this will lead or how martial art schools will evolve. Those who close brick and mortar schools may find themselves teaching online or in yards and parks with a new organic twist on a time-honored tradition. How many styles have evolved over time? How many martial artists adapt to keep messages relevant? Keep an open mind.
There is no easy answer or magic bullet. I can’t profess to know how to “fix” anything. When quarantine time hit and I had to stay inside, I was more determined than ever to exercise because it was a stress-reliever. It was a small struggle that I turned to opportunity. Maybe you cannot do things the same way now, or maybe ever. Change motivates. It forces you to try and do what you never considered before. Push through and find your next steps. That is opportunity and it stands before you now.
xoxo
Andrea
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**** Exciting News!***Check out my new podcast with interviews of inspiring martial art women: https://anchor.fm/andrea-harkins
Pick up one of my motivational books:
The Martial Arts Woman: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman-Moti…/…/1544916213
Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations-Ev…/…/150297830X
