Every action they take is a struggle...
having to work to provide a living...
planning a social event...
working out...
eating somewhat "healthy"...
even the mundane tasks like getting out of bed in the morning or brushing their teeth is "hard".
They have pretending to struggle down to an art form.
Now compare this to someone who is struggling to achieve a worthwhile goal or overcome a personal challenge.
What is the gap between these two types of struggling?
Vast.
The vastness of the gap indicates the extent of "gray area" that defines struggling. Meaning, what one person considers struggling, another experiences as easy. And what someone considers struggling, another feels is intolerable.
Arguably, the more you struggle, the better you get at handling bigger and bigger challenges.
What if in order for you to grow personally... in order for you to develop a constitution, resiliency, discipline, self control and things of this nature... what if the prerequisite for these characteristics was struggling?
What if the extent to which you are challenged and struggle with that challenge is the extent to which you grow and develop personally?
It would make sense logically. When the next challenge arises, you would arguably be better prepared only to be able to tolerate and overcome larger and larger challenges.
It is not possible to develop strength of body or character without challenge and resistance. In essence, you must struggle in order to experience this type of growth.
So what does this have to do with martial arts?
Well, this is what we do. We challenge ourselves mentally, emotionally, and physically. We struggle with different types of problems whether it is the number of push ups we have to do... the ability to focus when we have personal issues outside the dojo which are distracting us... or we simply want to stop and quit.
People have struggled with these and various other challenges in their karate and kickboxing training for years. BUT... and this is a big but... the students that stick it out, grow. They grow vast and wide (No ladies... I am not talking physically...) meaning that their ability to handle life's challenges increases exponentially because they are in a constant process of struggling against obstacles both physical and mental. In the dojo, once they overcome a challenge, a new one is presented to them which is a little tougher than the last.
It's funny though. Some people have the idea that we "shouldn't" struggle. We shouldn't have to. Life should be easy. In essence struggling is bad.
If you were to be of this mindset... what would your growth and development look like?
Train Right.
Sincerely,
Master Dan
Stryker Martial Arts Inc.
