The Silver Lining!!!

We have been talking about Appreciation this month in both our Adult and Children's Programs and last week's topic of a Silver Lining really hit home for me.

The concept of Appreciating something or someone more is a big one. Often enough we step on the very flowers that we have with us just to admire the roses on the other side of the fence. So with that in mind I wanted to share with you a concept of Silver Lining or a method of finding the good in everything.

For a while now I have been just upset with our oldest set of mats. Lets face it... they do not resemble anything close to being new. In fact these once red mats are not a very vague shade of pink. They have lost their loving feeling for sure. Or is it that I lost my loving feeling for them?

Well, I have been wanting new mats downstairs for a while because we teach a lot of private lessons on them. We also teach all of our first time introductory students on them. Frankly it was getting so bad I was a little embarrassed by them. But, they definitely were not going to replace themselves and everything we looked at was going to cost an arm and a leg... maybe even two!!!

It wasn't until a few months ago I remember a time (photos on our wall that you can see) that we didn't have mats. We worked out on a few older roll out mats for wrestling but nothing but carpet for striking. Then I remember not having those wrestling mats. I even remembered back to the days of a tennis court with no roof over our heads and us wrestling in the grass and mud as well as the concrete. (I know I know, young is all I have to remind you of)

During this time of reflection I remember driving 24 hours straight to pick up these mats. I remember all the little stops and speed bumps along the way to get the mats. What a great deal we got for them and how much we have used them since.

Once I started appreciating the mats the funniest thing happened. We fell into the greatest deal ever on the mats we were wanting to place downstairs. They were used but in great shape and to top it off they were 60+ percent off the normal price!!!

Yep, you heard me right. What an amazing deal and an amazing chance for us to redesign downstairs. We were so pumped about this and still am :)

Now as I place the mats in the design and I cut boarders... I can't help but think about the old pink mats. I can't help but be sad that we will soon be saying good bye to those mats. The very ones that we made our Academy on. The same ones that many of my instructors and friends have taught on from California to Texas.

The Silver Lining here is that I don't believe we were ready for new mats until we or I should say I remembered just how amazing the old mats were. Just how far they had taken us. Now that is appreciation. Try it out and see what happens!!!

Guro Larry

Double D (Determination & Dedication)!!!

I found myself this past weekend almost taking the easy road...

I got stuck at the Austin Airport for an additional two hours Friday because of bad weather in Dallas. Once they finally let us go I arrived in good time in Dallas only to receive texts that my fight had been canceled to Atlanta.

They rebooked me for a 730am flight but I would still have to stay the night somewhere in Dallas before leaving out that morning. My thoughts were if they just could have let me know this sooner I could have stayed home and left the next day from Austin, right??? Well I now had two choices... wait until morning and then flyer to Atlanta or take the 1250am flight that night back to Austin.

I was truly stuck on that decision. I really wanted to go train with Guro Ron (my head instructor). I had been planning and had been pumped about this seminar for a while. It was another step towards my goals for this year in my own personal training and growth. But at the same time, it had been a long Friday full of lots of private lessons and other adventures. All I really wanted to do at this point is just see my daughter and wife's face back home.

After talked with Guro Ron, I could tell he was excited to see me as well and that gave me even more drive. I also thought long and hard about some of the complaints I hear over the years from all different types of martial artists. Complaints that take over their training and allow them to quit training all together.

I think about the lack of determination and/or dedication in our society and I think WOW....

I can't be one of those numbers lost in this type of a war.

At that point I decided to stick with the program. I decided I was training this weekend no matter what. Just to make it tough on myself I decided I was sleeping in the Dallas Airport with many others that night.

This was one of those moments that I was put in to not only show my dedication to my training but also to those around that I have seen quit things in their life because of certain obstacles. Because they were not getting something they wanted in some grand vision of Totality. Heck at this point I would have been excited with five minutes of training with Guro Ron.

That's right, all that money on hotel, car, fights, food, etc. just for five minutes on the floor to train with him.

Whether you want to admit it or not, there is a war going on out there. You can either be a VC - Victim of Circumstance or you can get off your tail. Do as much as possible to be prepared and make the most of every situation. Grow from ever exchange and make the most of your time... even if it is five minutes!!!

Lets get motivated and lets get determined. Lets show our dedication to our goals!!!

Guro Larry

We often know everything, or do we???

It is often now that I travel to different schools or seminars and pay for training. It is also often that for the most part I am lucky to see something new. Now most would think of this as being some kind of negative exchange. You are hoping to learn some new technique but in the end you've failed to realize there really isn't one.

With this being said, why would you pay money to train if you might already "know it all". I say this as fun because I know I don't know it all but there are those that definitely think they do, lol.

The reason you keep training and keep going isn't for new knowledge. The reason to keep training is often to keep moving forward in your digestion of the knowledge you already know.

This is important because often enough people spend all their life in and outside the Martial Arts, looking for that one new thing that really doesn't exist. The reason is refinement. The reason is accuracy. The reason is the sharpen our strongest tool.... our brain!!!

I say open up your mind and look to the stars and heavens for the answers. You might just notice that they are the same stars you have been looking up at since you were born.

Be a white belt in everything you do for every day of your life!!!

Guro Larry

Silver/White Lining to Everything!!!

Can you believe the south got hit hard with snow this past weekend??? Well it did, which was crazy!!! I had a chance to travel to Little Rock Arkansas first which was a challenge. I then started driving two and a half hours towards Memphis through a ton of rain.

After finally missing a entire day of seminars I checked into my hotel room to relax only to finally contract the bug that had been going around. Thankfully I prepared after seeing Heidi and Lauren go through it. I had been fasting for about two days expecting it to happen sooner but it didn't.

Honestly I think the only reason I was able to make the seminars the next day and be some what there mentally was the fact that I had only been eating bread, fruit and drinking juice. If not I think I would have just been out for the count.

Bad part about it was that I couldn't finish my 10,000 squats :(

The cool thing though was just after lunch on saturday... out of the sky.... fell snow!!!! I couldn't believe it, real snow. It got so caked on the ground that I thought it was going to be time to get the snow shoes out, lol.

It was quite a sight and really amazing.

Well worth the trip and the pain in the stomach, literally.

The moral - there is always a silver or white lining :) to everything. Such a beautiful sight. Check out this quick video of it... www.martialway.net/snow.html

Giving the Time of Day!!!

Something at church this morning sparked an idea in my brain on this early Sunday after St. Valentine's Day. It was the notion or concept about leprosy and how in the old days many people were thought to be unholy or not well to be around. This back in the day was noticeable by the scars they had on their skin.

Now a days it doesn't happen that way nearly as much... or does it. How many times have we pulled up to the corner (especially in Austin) and seen a homeless person. We read the sign and as they near our car, we quickly look away or act busy. All this so we don't make eye contact and feel guilty or haggled to give something.

How about when your co-worker or friend gets laid off from work. Maybe not you; but have you ever noticed how some people run the other direction and try not to associate with that person anymore. As if getting laid off was some type of contagious disease that we didn't want to catch, lol.

Well in all cases (I'm sure there are more) I think we need to implement a form of kindness. I'm not one to give money to people on the corner; but I often give in other ways like Capital Area Food Bank or to my church which helps in things like this. But could we roll down the window and at least give a "hello" or "how's your day going?".

Just to offer some form or kindness all around would be pretty amazing I think.

Be careful though, it could get addictive. There could be a moment in time when you will not only change yourself but possibly others around you.... WOW!!!

This could make an impact. You being kind to one person could make an impact on both them and you. They would feel good and because of that... you would feel good.

Even better, be sure to do it in front of your co-workers, friends and family. Make sure they see you do it and be sure to talk about it afterwards. It might even catch on with them. The next thing you know we could be living in a world where people actually give each other the time of the day :) Guro Larry

I Caught the Training Bug!!!

Training with Guro Dan is always fun and exciting. It was also great to attend and spend the weekend with Jeremy, Adam, Jamie and Andrew. It was all of their first times so I know it was a great eye opening experience. It reminded me that I am coming up on potentially getting my Associate Level Instructorship soon under Guro Dan. This has helped me find a new goal over all for the rest of the year. I have started adding every seminar that is near by to my calendar for both Guro Ron and Guro Dan. I am excited to be making plans to bump up my training for the rest of this year and see where it places me in both skill and rank.

I am also excited because I know along my journey and goal for this year many of you will be along for the ride with me. Look forward to some awesome adventures coming up over the next 10 months.

Thanks to Jeremy, Adam, Jamie and Andrew for helping start this bug :)

Your Frienemy!!!

Frienemy!!!

I love this term. I like thinking of making up words often or is it that I just start talking so fast I merge them together, ha!

It's like Pressuristic... a great combination of a Pressured Scenario that is Realistic :)

On this note, I was watching a movie and I think it was My Best Friends Wedding and I think they used this term.

It got me to thinking a month or so ago about it and I wrote it down in my journal. I always like going back and going through my old notes; but this one I didn't have to. It's been on my mind since I wrote it down.

Everyone needs friends; but sometimes we need to have our friends not be so friendly and be a little more like our enemies. Lets say an enemy with our best interests in mind. It is because they care about us so much that they call us on our weaknesses in body, mind, spirit and most definitely choices.

On that note though is that if you don't have a Frienemy, then you need to become your own. This can be pretty tough and it has to start with doing something extremely important. You have to write your own mission statement. I know, crazy right!!! Sounds all corporate and stuff huh?!

Well lets change it and say you need to write a Personal Mission Statement. This I always look at as the thing you want to do with your life. The thing that you live for everyday. For me, it is when I am no longer around, what will people say about me.

Do this as your first step and the next will be much easier.

Be your own Frienemy and be sure that all your decisions from your "to do list" to your "cross roads" always get made in your Personal Mission Statements best interest.

Get crackin or I guest I should say get writing and lets see if it makes a difference with the choices you make. Be your own Frienemy or find a friend to be your enemy and hold your responsible.

Guro Larry

Fun of Goal Setting

You know it is funny to see so many goals get set and so many no get met...

This year is (always) going to be different :)

I like the old Advocare tag one year... C2C - Choose to Change!!! This goes hand in hand with what Brian Tracy writes in the Rule of Choice. The true power that we have to change is amazing.

This goes hand in hand with our recent Goal Setting Seminar for Kids. It was amazing!!! This is probably now one of my most favorite things to teach every year. The children came out and drilled their material. They set their goals with their parents help. They discussed a plan to achieve it with several Action Steps. They even discussed what might hold them back from achieving it!!!

Afterwards the parents wrote the goal on one side of the board and on the other the bad habit or thing that might hold the child back. Pure AWESOME!!!

Now each child lined up and had to break through the side that had the bad habit listed on it. This of course symbolized the fact that if they broke the bad habit or defeated what held them back, then maybe, just maybe they could actually achieve the goal written on the other side. How amazing is that???!!! Absolutely AMAZING!!!

I'll try to add some clips of it in the near future because this kind of an event can really get you to thinking. If I follow my action steps and stick to my plan I can do IT!!!

Well my friends, I am sticking to my plan of push ups everyday... grrr Wednesday was pretty tough but today is oh so different. I'm about to finish 600 for the day!!! How is your goal Achieving going??? Plan your work and work your plan, because after all there are only two things in this world. Results and Reasons. Well reasons don't really add up and count so get busy. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help. If we can't directly, then we will be more than happy to direct you on a path that should. Keep your eyes on the road and you will ge THERE!!! Guro Larry

10,000 Push Ups & Beyond!!!

Lets talk about Goal Setting!!!
Lets talk about all the things that can be!!!
Lets talk about Goal Achieving!!!

Ok so, I'm not a rapper but maybe a ranter.

My rant today has to do with Goal Setting... because the Goals YOU set are the Goals you GET!!!

Now there are Long Term and Short Term Goals. In this case I wanted to share with you this amazing feeling that I had the other day.

Now one of my short-term goals is pretty simple (Grin). I would like to achieve 10,000 Push Ups by January 31st!!! I know, seems like a lot right? Well there are several steps that must happen. These steps are most important to getting started and to following through with your goals.

#1 - Pick something you want to achieve and WRITE IT DOWN!!!
This makes your dream a reality by being written down on something tangible.
EXAMPLE - 10,000 Push Ups!!!

#2 - Set a Deadline or Day and Time that you want to achieve it.
This gives it a sense of urgency and time to make it happen.
EXAMPLE - By January 31st, 2009!!!

#3 - Create a Plan with Action Steps to make it happen.
This has to happen in order to take the steps to achieve it.
EXAMPLE - 10,000 / 31 Days = 323 (roughly) Push Ups per day!!! Now my plan actually involves doing less per day and building up to 323+ to compensate in the later weeks.

#4 - Tell Everyone About IT!!!!
This keeps you honest and gives you the extra motivation so that you have to prove your words right.
EXAMPLE - Well I've been telling my students about it. I'm telling you here, and I've even begun telling others in different customer service areas that I have visited.

Here is something pretty cool, by telling so many of these people, I have noticed a new fire in their eyes. The kind of spark that says they are ready to go achieve their goals too. Very cool!!!

Speaking of achieving your goals, you know the old saying... "it's not the end result but it's the journey or process to get there"? Well I've been doing about 150 push ups a day prior to January 1st. They all felt the same. Just push ups.

What was different was when I did my first set of 150 push ups in January. Now those felt completely different. So much that I was up lifted to a completely different plain. These push ups were not just regular push ups. They were the one's that counted towards something bigger. Oh what a feeling!!! These were they ones that counted towards my big goal, 10,000 push ups!!! Too bad we don't always think that way about our every day tasks huh?

Take these Simple Action Steps and you will have a chance to make it to your Goals. Now that is called Achievement. I'll see you at the Finish Line!!!