Recently I have had cause to reflect on the direction of my life and the changes taking place in it. I kept coming back to something that I tell my students all the time in class...Train From the Heart. Now, this doesn't just apply to their Martial Arts training. This is also something I ask them to apply in their everyday lives.

The old adage..."anything worth doing is worth doing well"...is something that I have grown up with my entire life. Granted, I didn't always adhere to that but as I have gotten older and have grown as a Martial Artist and a parent, I have realized this is an absolute must in our lives if we are to succeed on any level. It is not enough to just "go through the motions" and pretend we are giving it our all. We sell ourselves short by doing that and as instructors and parents, we have to be the example by which our students and children are lead through their lives and their training. After all, like the Martial Arts, isn't life just an ongoing training exercise?

I am always on my students in class to "Train From the Heart" and to put their best effort forward. Not everyone is the same or equal in ability but if your training comes from the heart, and you are putting everything you have into what you are doing, success is guaranteed, no matter what that level of success is. By that I mean, one student may be having a hard time performing a new technique while the student next to him or her "gets it" right from the start. For me, I am not as much concerned with how either of them are performing the technique, but more so with how much effort they are putting into the task. Eventually, with diligence and a solid work ethic, the student having the most trouble will be the most satisfied when that technique finally "clicks". The smile and recognition on that student's face, knowing that they have succeeded by their own efforts is what makes it all worth while and why "Training From the Heart" is so important no matter how or where you apply it.

Apply that same hard work and diligence to your every day life and see what successes manifest from your efforts!