Warriors Prepare for Change - 10 Truths

Think about how long you've been alive. How much has the course of your life altered throughout the years? How many people have come in and out of your life? Multiple jobs? Challenging career moves? Maybe you're like me and have moved states in search of better opportunity. 

Change is good! Now I know that is a blanket statement that is dripping with generalization, but I believe it. How else can we view this ever increasingly different world and society? We, as martial artists must keep our positive outlook. The alternative is simply counter to what our martial arts teach at their core. Today I'll be using 'warrior' in place of martial artist. A warrior is someone who prepares and trains for the worst but hopes for the best. Someone who is ready for the uncertainty of change but is ready to find all its promise too.

Sure, if you walk outside in the morning and a tree has fallen on your car in the middle of the night, it might be hard at first to embrace this change as positive. However, if you are a warrior, you might be able to see the good in this situation before losing your composure and becoming irate. Were you or anyone you loved in the car when the tree fell? No? To me that would be the chief positive. Now after realizing that, maybe you can celebrate...It's time for a new car! A warrior must find the good, must inspire others as well as himself to keep going, keep working, training, improving for the future and all the change it will inevitably bring.

Here are 10 Truths about Warriors that help them prepare for change. These truths resonate with us as martial artists but are easily related to non martial artists as well.

1. A warrior is not devoted to any one style or system. He has a foundation but he blends and is flexible. Whether we're talking about boxing, karate, or judo, a martial artist should have an open mind and accept the good and discard the bad. Always with humility and never with ego. Outside the martial arts, people should be open minded to other's differences of opinion. It's okay to have a moral or personal foundation to guide your life, but remember that is your foundation. Do not force your system upon others.

2. A warrior believes in KISS, keep it short and simple. If something is too complicated for self defense, it will fail. Fast, short, simple will keep the warrior alive. Outside the martial arts we should all strive to declutter our lives of stress and drama. Live simply and keep focused on what really matters.

3. A warrior trains hard to fight easy. Sweat in practice to bleed less in battle. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare! A warrior prepares for the worst, so they are ready to meet it. Want to get a new position with your company? Prepare for it! Want to convince your significant other that you really do need a jetski? Prepare for the conversation and it might go much easier than you think!

4. A warrior keeps a positive mental attitude always. Self doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will! Do not defeat yourself before whatever adversity you are facing even tries!

5. A warrior is adaptable. You must be able to change quickly to emerge from sticky situations unscathed. Martial Artists strive for the trained response, not the natural reaction. If you encounter physical or verbal opposition, your trained response should be what allows you to maneuverer past it. The natural reaction is usually the worst thing, if someone pushes we push back. If someone pulls we pull back in the opposite direction. If they say something offensive or small minded we respond equally so. See how much time and energy this will waste? Train your response to these situations, avoid the reaction.

6. A warrior evaluates everything. They evaluate their skills, attitude, surroundings. There is never only one way to do something. Open your mind and your heart and be honest with yourself. Embrace change!

7. A warrior maintains good physical condition. Keep your body and mind sharp. Develop both.

8. A warrior is a quiet professional. Low key, no bragging. Nothing speaks louder than results. Leave the cheap talk where it belongs.

9. A warrior never stops seeking self improvement. Train! Practice! Repetition is the key to mastery. Practice your skills and polish them. If your a school teacher, find new methods of communicating to become and even more effective educator. Continual education is the chief way to stay prepared for an ever changing world.

10. A warrior is unattached to the physical trappings of life. This one is definitely a hard one. Who doesn't love their smartphone? But what it really means is we can't lose sight of what we are all striving for, perfection of our character. Your new BMW is definitely cool, but it is just an instrument. Without you or another person its useless. You are the difference maker. You are the driver. What kind of driver will you be? The professional who always improves his skills? Navigating life's challenges and emerging on the other side a wiser, more successful version of yourself? You decide.

Remember, change is good! Search out, seek and find the good in whatever adversity you may face. Respond rather than react and strive to be the best version of yourself so that you may face whatever change and challenges you come across prepared to do battle and win!

I hope you enjoyed these truths and see some value in them for your daily life!

Kanpai!

John Gaddis, Sensei