Martial artists are all positive people, right? They don’t have bad days or difficult obstacles because they practice a martial art, right?

Surprise. Martial artists are just like every other person. They train and teach and keep the momentum, but that is not to say that they do not struggle like everyone else. The difference is that they put what they know into action and that means that quitting is not an option, perseverance is a symbol of meaning and hope, and for every negative moment there are thousands more that are positive. Here’s how you can beat negativity like a martial artist!

Five Great Ways to Overcome Negativity:

One: Focus on the now. You may find yourself thinking about yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. That makes life really difficult. The focus on the faults of yesterday and the uncertainty of tomorrow is enough to push anyone over the edge during already challenging times. The fighter in the ring has only one moment on which to focus and that is the now moment. They do not want to get hit, hurt, or scarred so they focus on how to defend and win. That’s it. The now moment is a defense against negativity and a win for positivity.

Two: Improve your mindset. Have you heard the story about how I almost failed my green belt exam because I couldn’t break the boards at the exam with a jump front kick after 2 tries? The reality is that I did not think I could do it. But, on that third try, I decided to believe. I gave myself the benefit of the doubt and reminded myself that I could do it. Bam! Through the boards I went and it was easy. I changed a difficult task to an easy one simply because I changed my mindset. This magic can work for you, too.

Three: Fight to win. Don’t give up when things get tough. You can triumph even if your marriage is on the rocks, your finances are barely floating, or your weight gain has you questioning your own self-worth. Triumph only occurs, though, when you persevere and do not give up. You should fight for whatever is worth fighting for. That means assessing where you are in life and where you want to go. Prioritize what is important and what is not. You know exactly what is worth fighting for once you have your list of priorities. If it doesn’t make the list, find what does make the list and fight for it!

Four: Practice. Martial artists must practice to improve and gain expertise. You must also practice being positive. How many positive people do you really know? Exactly, very few. That is because a negative mindset is easy and natural. A positive mindset requires effort, determination and practice. How exactly do you practice? Start by changing any negative thought to a positive one. I hate being limited due to COVID, but I am going to use the time for self-improvement since there is nothing I can do about the world’s issues. Can you lose weight, write poetry, learn to play a musical instrument or inspire someone else during this time? That’s the way to practice positivity.

Five: Get physical. Martial artists get to kick, punch and block. All of these movements are also great stress relievers. Martial artists fight back against negativity because their physical practice gives them a sense of confidence and self-worth. If you are not a martial artist, a walk, workout, yoga, zumba, or weight lifting all provide the physical release to the mental negativity. I do not know anyone who does not feel better overall after a workout. In fact, when I am stressed, worried, or negative, the first thing I do to overcome it is to work out or practice my kicks.

The bottom line is that we are all in this great big boat called life, together. We are challenged constantly to either  sink or swim, fail or win. The martial artist practices and studies self-discipline and gains the confidence to know that they make a difference in the world. This holds true to us all. We all have the power to make a difference.

Today is a new day. You can beat negativity just like a martial artist because it’s all about mindset. For what are you waiting? Put the martial art mindset to work in your life and be more positive.

xoxo

Andrea

More inspiration can be found here:

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrea-harkins

Books:

Pick up one or both of my motivational books here:

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