Martial arts saved me from being grumpy, disappointed, lonely, inconsiderate and unhappy. They saved me from being complacent, mean, stubborn and bitter.  I push the negative from my life and replace it with hope, insight and positivity, thanks to martial arts.  I look in the mirror and am content with who I see –  not the physical person, but the one who overcomes to achieve personal success.  

I would never be the person I am today if not for my martial art journey. I was not as confident, tenacious or positive in the beginning.  If I remained that way, I would now struggle with so many life and health issues. I might even be unappreciative and sour.  

How do I know this? Because when I look around at some who are my age (late 50’s), that is what I see. I am not judging, really,  because everyone has a right to live their life exactly as they choose.  I, however, want not of that.  I do not want to make poor choices. Rather, I want to do whatever I can to make each moment count.

Because of martial arts, I am not alone.  I have martial art friendships that are deep within my heart, including my husband and children who have all practiced martial arts and/or are black belts. My family and martial art friends are the people I trust and admire the most and are the role models I aspire to emulate.

Find the Extraordinary You 

Chances are that you will find what is extraordinary about you if you surround yourself with others who are positive and exceptional. This is because you rise to the challenge and to their level of expertise. Martial artists should strive to be extraordinary to others. As teachers and mentors, they have the ability to inspire others to be positive and exceptional, too.

The opposite can happen. You can wallow in negativity if you surround yourself with negative people. I want to do whatever I can to cultivate passionate and reliable relationships that carry me through my difficulties and apply a powerful martial art mindset to life. You must do this, too.  Decide to work diligently toward the positive and push the negative aside.

Leadership in a Modern Culture 

Martial arts are one of the few activities that improve your leadership abilities. That is what martial arts did for me. The day before I attended my first martial art class, I lacked leadership and belief in myself. Soon afterwards, I found a way to use martial arts to help others succeed and find happiness. That is where I am today, more than 30 years after beginning my martial art journey. 

Heart Health  

Years ago I was diagnosed with a heart murmur and mitral valve prolapse. Neither is dangerous, but I was worried when I first learned about them.  The doctor told me that there are varying degrees of the prolapse (where one valve in the heart does not close as timely as it should) and it could be serious or not serious at all.  Thankfully, it was nothing to worry about and I live with it and don’t even think about it on most days.

The heart, though, is a very important organ for survival.  I know that it needs exercise to keep it strong.  I am not a person who is considered an athlete, but every year I receive an excellent bill of  health when I go to the doctor.  My blood work shows the positive benefits of exercise.  I know for a fact that if I do not practice the physical and mental aspects of martial arts, I would not be in as good health. 

Practicing a martial art strengthened my heart in more ways than one.  I’ve experienced what it means to be humble and to have a healthy appreciation and love for others through my practice and teaching. This is the kind of “heart health” that everyone needs.

Exercise, be happy, and do what you love.  It improves your heart health in more ways than one.

Heart health, or physical health, along with mental health help you overcome many devastating barriers. There are many times in my life when I want to give up. At one point, I almost lost my house to the bank. In another, I almost lost my unborn child. I was explicitly told in both cases that I would lose both, controlled by both a bank to which I owed a loan, and a doctor who believed my pregnancy was over. 

My practice of martial arts increased my personal awareness and fortitude and I applied it in these scenarios.  I did not walk away from years of effort building a house, nor did I abandon the hope of carrying the child. In fact, I lived in that house for 15 years afterwards and that unborn child is 19 years old today. 

Black Belt Perspective 

I would not have fought nearly as hard through any of life’s obstacles if I did not trust and believe in persistence.  The only way I know that I can get through difficult moments is due to the perseverance and dedication I used to earn my black belt. 

My black belt is a daily reminder of personal success.  It means nothing to other people. Someone asked me the other day, “Can’t you just buy one of those black belts?”  I knew after the words rolled off his tongue that he was right.  Anyone can buy a black belt.

Those who think that way, however, do not understand or recognize the difficulties one faces to earn a black belt. To some, the black belt is just another piece of cloth or an accessory. Neither my black belt nor yours deserves that disservice. Honor your black belt through your words and actions. You and I put years of effort  behind it and have the responsibility to use it to make a positive impact on our world. What others think does not matter. We know its importance.

Positive Mindset 

I believe that a positive mindset allows you to live a fuller, more passionate life. You perform magic when you flip the negative switch to positive. Like  magic, you can summon invincible physical and mental strength whenever you need it.  

Like you, I work to learn, grow and develop every day. This process gives me a healthy and positive mind and body.  I am the person I want to be because of martial arts.  It is difficult to untangle life’s dilemmas, issues and struggles. Martial arts and a positive mindset are tools to bring the frazzled loose ends back together.  

Truly, martial arts saved me in more ways than I can ever describe. They help me walk toward being the best that I can be and to strive higher than I ever imagined. I know that my life would be drastically different today if not for my practice.  I would not know what it means to make the most of life, or how great it feels to motivate and inspire others.

The next step?  I think I will just continue on and see what happens. How about you?  

xoxo

Andrea

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Andrea F. Harkins, is a writer, motivator, life coach, martial artist and public speaker. Her books, The Martial Arts Woman and Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone, are available on Amazon.  Her third book, How to Start Your Own Martial Art Program, is in progress.

Andrea is known internationally for her positivity and martial art outreach. She is an avid blogger, magazine columnist, greeting card author, newspaper columnist, motivator and speaker. 

Pick up copies of her motivational books today! 

The Martial Arts Woman book: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman-Motivational-Stories/dp/1544916213

Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone book: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations-Everyone-Andrea-Harkins/dp/150297830X