TRUST the process. LIVE the commitment

I have been practicing martial arts - more specifically, Tae Kwon Do - for about nine years. If you had asked me nine years ago whether I would ever become a second degree Blackbelt, I would have shrugged and given you a little laugh saying, "I don't know.....maybe". How can you commit to something for such a long time and not become discouraged?

Just the other day while I was teaching a student, I was reminded of the power patience can have in the pursuit of your commitments. While practicing a technique, a brown-belt student training to become a Blackbelt, became discouraged.

"I can't do it. I am so bad at this kick," she told me.

I looked at her, and keeping in mind she had just started the Blackbelt training class, asked her, "What do you mean you are 'bad'?"

She looked at me with a frustrated shrug and said, "I cannot hit the target like the other students".

So I asked her, "Since you started coming to the Blackbelt training class, what changes have you seen in your techniques and forms?"

"Well....." she said. "I have gotten better....I think. I know my patterns more and I am learning new stuff.....like bow staff".

"Yes," I said. "Since you came to this class, I have watched your determination and ambition to practice and learn. I have observed your progression and you are doing great. How do you think your technique will change if you keep practicing with so much patience and determination?"

"It will get better," she said.

I could feel a change in her emotions as she pushed her shoulders back and prepared to do the kick. She took a deep breath and went on to hit the target - not perfectly but certainly with a lot of confidence.

The girl still had a frustrated look in her face, but this time she was pumped up to try it again, and again, and again. I could tell she was not yet satisfied with her technique, but she had gained back the confidence in herself and in the PROCESS of development.

Just like that little girl, sometimes (many times for me, to be honest!) we forget the magic of hard work and time. If I had stopped practicing martial arts when things got hard or boring, I would not be where I am today. If I had stopped studying in college or switched careers because things got hard or boring, I would not have graduated. If I had stopped talking to my family or friends when things got hard or heated, our relationships would not have grown.

If I had stopped pursuing those projects and goals that I am passionate about, I would not have experienced the growth that COMMITMENT can create.

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, once said, "I acquired a central ability that was to help me throughout my entire career: Patience. I'm serious. Patience is so underrated."

As you and I embark on this process of discovery and growth, let's us trust the process of development. Let's us commit to our goals. May we have the patience to let knowledge, creativity, and time take our minds and actions to where they need to go.

What are your thoughts? I would love to hear from you. Don't hesitate to reach out and connect!

Trust the process. Live the commitment