Recently, someone commented on Facebook how I have come so far, so fast. He was  referring to my following on social media, and some recent opportunities. The comment came after a flurry of comments about a photo I posted of me performing a kick in my front yard. Some liked it, some thought it needed work. To me, it was just a kick in the front yard.

It’s funny because I kick differently depending on my goal. Some days I just wonder how high I can kick, without evaluating the tradition or other aspects of the kick. I also have a three second timer on my phone, so I press the timer, run a few feet out, and execute a kick at the precise time I think it will capture the kick up in the air. As they say about a lot of things, timing is everything.

As far as the comment about how I have come so far, so fast, I don’t quite see it that way. I picked up a guitar, a pencil, and a pad of paper when I was about ten years old, and I’ve been writing ever since. Many times I wrote love songs, or poetry. In my young school years, I entered a writing contest and wrote about a nun who was quarantined due to an illness in Italy, while other children were still writing about unicorns and rainbows. I kept extensive journals and made observations, and I have always seen the details rather than the big picture.

In high school, I liked to read, and it seemed like a natural extension of me. I studied Literature in college. These days, I cannot remember much of what I read back then. The classical literature was intense and I would read book after book. Today, I can’t identify from where a Shakespeare quote came, or match the classical book name with the content any longer,  because I studied so intently back then.

My professional writing started with one martial art magazine, followed by the blog I began a few years ago. After starting the blog, I went out on a limb, so to speak, and decided to write a book. Based on my blog and other magazines for which I’ve written, a publisher contacted me and said if an idea was good, he’d publish. I started to write my book, The Martial Art Woman, in July 2015.

I’ve been working on the book and actively posting  in social media nearly every waking moment, when my time was not filled with some other responsibility. I’ve taken care to motivate and help others move forward in their own personal journeys. In fact, all that I do takes diligent and committed effort.

Martial arts began for me in 1989. They were not a passion, nor a vision I had of myself right away. Still, over time, I enjoyed them very much and was able to excel within the school. I was never a competitor, and because I started at age 26, I was not a child who needed the expel energy. It was a lot of work. My black belt test was in 1994, and my second degree was earned in 1997. I taught for the school I attended for several years, and then for seven years for underprivileged kids. Then, later, my family and I started a program at a YMCA and have been there for seven years.

If you read this, you may realize that I’ve been cultivating a spirit and a vision my entire life. It is a little different from what I imagined it would be. I thought I would perhaps be a singer or a musician, and write a novel. Instead, martial arts and writing collided. I can assure you, though, that none of the perceived success happened overnight. It has all been part of my life. I just happened to be listening when the calling came.

Which brings me back to you, because you are not so unlike me. Your life contains everything that you need for success. What you must first decide is not what success you want, but what you want to do with what you have, or what you need in order to excel. Your life may twist and turn into paths that seem difficult, or you may fall off a path of which you were certain, but it is not failure. It is redirection. As long as you are listening, you will find success waiting.

When discouragement or difficulties strike, it is never easy to step back and say to yourself, “This is just a learning experience,” or, “From this I will grow and become stronger.”  At the time, none of that will be crystal clear. Later, though, when it settles, you will see it for what it is. I always say that the denials that happened in my life, and doors that closed, are the exact factors that pushed me to start writing, motivating, and speaking. Had they not happened, I would not be sharing with you, right now.

There are many ways to cultivate your success. Make a list of your life’s milestones, as well as the skills, talents, and passions that you have. Somewhere, they will connect. You can draw a line directly through one to the other and see direction and purpose. If you are open-minded, you will see why these parts of you are important. They offer the unique and unparalleled version of you. No other person can see it or act upon it.

It is true, that in a short time, I have acquired a very active social media audience. None of that would have happened, though, if not for the years of effort in all the areas of my life, or if I had not recognized and acted upon the voice inside that pushed me along.

As unique as every person, my practice of martial arts has its own tone. Kicking on my driveway is a bit different from kicking in class, because it is for me, about exploration. In a sense, it shows the depth of a person who is willing to share her personal practice, beyond the walls of the dojang. Every other photo on Facebook, is about perfection. Neither life, nor martial arts, is perfect all of the time. I am not, and never will be, a person who sees martial arts as cut and dry. While tradition is incredibly important, the soul of the practitioner has an importance, too.

Everyone has opportunities, but for many, martial arts or writing are not their passions. The key is to identify in what you believe, how you want to affect the world around you, and what your definition of success is. Do I believe that I’ve reached success quickly? No. I believe that I’ve worked hard since ten years of age to write, and for the past 27 years to practice a martial art, all so I could mature into a  life that was meant for positive outreach.

I didn’t know back then social media would exist, or that I would write for magazines, or a book. but I knew all along exactly where I was headed. Only through effort and hard work, could I have ever made it to where I am, and able to share what I know about life and positivity, or make a difference.

I think we all know that instant success is a rarity. Success that is resultant of long hours over many long years, and that follows a path and calling, is never instant. I have come so far, so fast, is just a relative statement. I think a better definition would be, I have finally found the point in my life where I can make a difference using what I know, and my experiences.

You are capable of the same, but don’t take my word for it. Take a close look at your life. Like my practice kicks in the driveway of my front yard, the practice and execution of your very unique life is like no other. The nuances, different angles, and personal explorations cannot be brushed off as insignificant, or unworthy, or instantaneous.  Your success has only one criteria, and that is you. Don’t forget, though, timing is everything.

xoxo

Andrea

www.themartialartswoman.com