Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t… You’re Right!
-Henry Ford
One thing you need to know about me, I HATE the word “can’t”! And I mean I seriously hate it. Seriously. I cannot stand to hear kids or adults tell me “I can’t do it”. Did I mention that I hate that word?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t buy into the thought that “If you think positively about something enough, the universe will make it happen”. But, I know that your mental focus drives you. If you start to learn a new technique and before you even try it think you can’t do it, you will not be fully devoted to learning this new technique. But, if you think you can, you will keep trying until you get it.
Now, when you are learning a new technique you may not be able to do it right away, you may not even be able to do it after hours of practice. But you need to know that you can do it with enough hard work, practice, and the right mindset.
When I was a brown belt, I thought “I can’t pass my black belt test.” I went along with this attitude for about a year. Would you like to know how much progress I made in that year? None at all. Finally I was reminded that if I didn’t think I could, and didn’t work for it, I definitely wouldn’t make pass it. After that I got my mindset right, started working hard, and practicing, and I aced my black belt test. I’m not saying it was easy, it was hard. But the board that tested me kept telling me it was one of the best black belt test they had given. It was all because I changed my mindset and got to work.
Ok, let’s not JUST apply this to karate. When is the last time you said, “I just can’t accomplish this goal I have set for myself”? You need to practice this in all areas of your life. You have to know that you can achieve your goals, you just have to be willing to work hard, practice and have the right mindset. If you can do that, you will be more driven to accomplish what you set out to do.
Thanks
Sensei Brian
P.S. I am stretching more to meet the goal I set out for myself I talked about last week. What have you been doing to meet your goal?