Life Skills
We’re Training Not Just Our Bodies But Our Minds Too 1
Imagine your mind and body are like a superhero team. The more that you exercise and practice, the better your mind and body at working together.
Just like how superheroes train to save the world, we train our minds and bodies make our world a better place.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE IN LIFE?
What you value in life is what you think is important. Values are like the building blocks (the legos) of our life.
Your values are your standards and they guide your actions and decisions. If you value honesty, you never tell a lie. You never steal.
If you value persistence you keep striving to succeed even when it gets tough. Just like earning your black belt, it’s not always going to be easy. But if you value persistence, you don’t quit.
If you value compassion, you look for ways to help other people. Before the next class, we want you to think of three important values in your life and how you live them.
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
HONOR YOUR PARENTS
The word honor is used in a few different ways. First, to give honor means to give extra value and weight. It’s the highest form of respect.
You honor your family by working hard and doing good in your life. When you break the law or act in a do bad things you dishonor your family name. In other words, you make your family look bad when you do bad things
The reason you should honor your mother and father is that if we treat our mother or father just like any other common people, we dishonor them.
Our parents love and take care of us. That deserves our respect and honor.
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
DOES THIS RUN IN YOUR FRIENDS?
Choice is part of your life so you have the choice to live a good life.
We can choose to speak encouraging words to our friends and family members instead of cutting them down all of the time.
We can choose not to tease or say bad things about other people whether they are with you or not.
Then leading by example, you can change what runs in your friends and family.
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION-GETTING BOPPED IN THE NOSE
Nothing worth having in life comes easy. That’s why most people quit when the going gets rough.
Not us. Sometimes you have to get bopped in the nose to remember to put your guard up.
We don’t quit. We learn. Remember! Progress over perfection!
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
Show the world who you want to be.
Let’s explore this powerful question: “Who do you want to be?” It’s not just about what you want to do, but about the kind of person you want to become.
What kind of qualities do you want to have? Are you strong, compassionate, disciplined, and courageous? A clear vision of the person you aspire to become is the foundation of your success.
Think about a recent challenge you faced. How did you handle it? Were you the person you wanted to be in that moment? If not, what can you learn from that experience? What did you do well, and can do even more of? What can improve for next time?
With determination, focus, and a clear sense of vision, we can achieve greatness. So, let’s show the world who you want to be.
Got it? Good. Let’s get to work!
Be Your Own Best Friend
Got it? Good. Let’s get to work!
How to Be Your Own Best Friend
As martial artists, we face challenges daily. We push ourselves to learn new techniques, build strength, and develop discipline.
And along this journey, it’s important to remember when you make a mistake or face a setback, instead of getting down on yourself, take a moment to reflect on what you will learn from the experience. Learn how to turn a negative into a positive.
So let’s begin today’s class with a commitment to being our own best friends.
Got it? Good. Let’s get to work!
You Don’t Have It All Figured Out. No One Does.
You might look around and think that everyone else has it figured out, but they don’t.
Many people are good at blending in and pretending. Some people are just trying to show confidence while on the inside they’re shaking in their boots!
That’s ok. At least they’re trying.
Don’t measure yourself by others. Remember, your job is to be the best YOU possible.
Got it? Good. Let’s get to work!
Clean Up the Mess
We all face challenges daily. We push ourselves to learn new skills, build strength, and develop discipline.
It’s also important to remember that we must push ourselves but not beat ourselves up mentally with stinking thinking.
Treat yourself like a good friend who encourages you to keep going even when you mess up and there is one thing in life you can be sure of, we all mess up.
As martial artists, we learn how to clean up the mess without beating ourselves up.
Face Your Fears
Facing your fears means to confront your fears head on just a like a black belt would. It means to take action despite being afraid. It means to do the thing you are most scared to do if it’s going to help you and help others. It doesn’t mean be stupid with your decisions. It means to feel the fear and do it anyway. It means to be brave. It means to overcome your fears.
It’s Like Riding a Bike
Imagine you and your friends are all learning to ride bikes together. Instead of only thinking about yourself, you help each other. When one of your friends can’t ride yet, you help them and tell them they can do it. This way, everyone is growing because they have friends who support and encourage them while they learn. It’s like being part of a team – everyone helps each other get better together.
Solving a Puzzle
Okay, so imagine you have a big puzzle that you need to solve. A challenge is like that puzzle, and it can be a bit tough to figure out how all the pieces fit.
It can take some time and thinking, but in the end, when you don’t quit, you make everything fit by organizing the toys better and finding creative ways to save space. Just like solving the puzzle, facing a challenge can be hard but also fun and rewarding when you finally figure it out.
Let’s get to work!
Face It and Grow 1
Sometimes you will find yourself in a difficult situation, one that seems impossible to overcome. Do you give up or find a way to face it and grow from the experience? The key is to be willing to face the obstacle head-on. When we’re grateful for our obstacles, we see them in a different light. They’re not problems to be avoided but opportunities to become better versions of ourselves. Looking back, many of the best lessons in life you learn are from these difficult situations we all face.
Face It and Grow 2
There are times in life when we face obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. Don’t give up. Find a way to face it and grow from the experience. The obstacle itself can help us learn and grow, as long as we’re willing to face it head-on.
Growth Mindset: “If it’s to be, it’s up to me!”
Every successful person in any area of life and work has a growth mindset, meaning they focus on progress not perfection.
They understand that to get to the next level, they have to work for it and sometimes it’s hard, but it is worth it.
Success is the result of hard work focused in the direction you want to go.
While others are complaining, we’re climbing towards our goals.
We have to understand that anything worth achieving will not be easy, but as martial artists, we’re up for the challenge.
Let’s get to work!
Comparison Is The Enemy Of Happiness
Instead of comparing ourselves to others, let’s focus on our own journey and how it’s going. This will help us see how far we have come and what new knowledge and skills have been acquired. This perspective also allows us to see our future with clarity. When faced with a challenge, don’t worry about what others are doing or saying; just do your best today.
Our Personal Fail Video 1
Do you know what a fail video is? It’s a video of the mistakes and accidents people make. We used to call these bloopers.
It’s too easy to focus on our fails than our journey. We remember the times we messed up, the times we fell, and the times we didn’t succeed.
The key is to work to narrow your mistakes down to your efforts to improve in all areas of life and fell short. Make sure the next scene in that video is you getting back up, dusting off the dirt and trying again. Quitting on your goals can make you the star of your own fail video.
Our Personal Fail Video 2
Remember, everyone has their own journey. Every person has their own blooper reels, it’s normal to make mistakes.
It’s how you learn and grow. Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on your own progress.
Remember, even the best martial artists had to start at the beginning.
Our Personal Fail Video 3
It’s important to remember that everyone’s journey is different. Everyone has their own blooper reels, which is perfectly normal. It’s how you learn and grow. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, let’s focus on our own progress. Remember, even the best martial artists had to start as white belts
We’re Training Not Just Our Bodies But Our Minds Too 2
We’re training not just our bodies but our minds too. This means that we are working to make our bodies stronger and faster, but we are also working to make our minds stronger and more focused.
We are training our minds to be tough and to never give up, no matter how hard the challenge may seem.
We are also training our minds to be disciplined and to make good choices, even when they may be difficult. We’re training our minds to be strong, just like we’re training our bodies to be strong.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE IN LIFE?
Last class, we talked about the importance of values. We learned that what you value in life is what you think is important.
If you value honesty, you never tell a lie. You never steal. Values are like the building blocks (the legos) of our life.
Your assignment was to think of three important values in your life and how you live them.
Let’s just start with one. “Joey, what is one of your important values and why?”
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
HONOR YOUR PARENTS
Last class, we learned that the word honor is used in a few different ways.
First, honor gives extra value and weight. It’s the highest form of respect.
You honor your family by working hard and doing good in your life.
The reason you should honor your mother and father is that if we treat our mother or father just like any other common people, we dishonor them.
The family unit is the backbone to society. Strong families create strong societies.
Of course, parents have to respect and honor their children as well by leading a life that makes their kids proud and want to be like their parents.
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
DOES THIS RUN IN YOUR FRIENDS 2?
Last class, we talked about how choice is part of your life so you can choose to live a good life.
We can choose to speak encouraging words to our friends and family members instead of cutting them down all of the time.
We can choose not to tease or say bad things about other people whether they are with you or not.
Even if some of your friends or family cut each other down and bad mouth people, you can control what runs in your family and friends to make sure that you don’t participate in those bad actions, bad behaviors or bad habits even if some of your friends and family do.
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION
- If you want to be successful and have a happy life, it’s important that you focus on progress, not perfection.
- Understand that to make things better, you have to work for it and sometimes it’s hard, but it is worth it.
- You can’t earn your black belt in four months, but you can earn your next belt that will move you closer to your black belt.
- That is progress, not perfection.
- While others are complaining, we’re climbing toward our goals.
- Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
Who do you want to be?
Let’s talk about becoming the best version of ourselves. Do you want to be someone who can meet the challenges of life?
Challenges can be scary. It could be like facing a monster with a head full of snakes. Just thinking about it could paralyze you. But we can’t let fear hold us back, can we?
Now, the next question is, are you ready to take responsibility for your response to the challenge?
Some days it’s hard to keep going but remember, we have the power to make a difference. Every time we step onto the mat, we’re training not just our bodies but our minds too. We’re learning discipline and responsibility. Discipline and responsibility are the tools we need to tackle even the biggest, scariest problems.
As we train together, let’s support and encourage one another. We all have our own battles to fight. So, let’s not be afraid, but instead, let’s embrace these opportunities to grow and become who we want to be.
Got it? Good. Let’s get to work!
Overcoming Challenges
Challenges in life are like puzzles or games that can be a little bit hard to solve at first . Think about when you learned to tie your shoes or ride a bike. Solving these challenges made you feel proud and happy when you finally figured them out. Just like earning a new belt on your journey to black belt. When you earn a new belt, it challenges you grow and become smarter and stronger.
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR CONVERSATIONS
A lot of us allow thoughts like, “I’m so stupid. That was a dumb thing to do.”
These are natural, but they are not helpful. Again, turn a negative into a positive.
Maybe you did something stupid, we all do. When your mind starts to spank you with, “I’m so stupid,” tag on a positive like, “That was stupid, but I’ve learned and that will never happen again.”
It’s like you’re becoming your own coach.
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
The Importance of Setting Goals
Why Most People Don’t Set Goals
Goal setting is an important part of life. There can be a lot of reasons why someone might not set goals.
Writing down your goals can also help to keep you motivated and on track.
A good big goal is to earn your black belt and then make each required belt a mini-goal.
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
Obstacles as Opportunities 1
Training in martial arts empowers us to continue to unlock our potential.
We all have challenges in life. Martial arts teaches us to see these obstacles as opportunities.
We learn to take charge of our life by making smart, healthy decisions about what we do, who we spend time with, what we put in our mouth and how we control our emotions and anger.
Obstacles as Opportunities 2
In order to become the best martial artist, you must face opponents who challenge you physically and mentally. Do you get upset about that? No, you embrace it! Because it’s through these challenges that you learn new techniques, improve your skills, and develop the strength to overcome even tougher opponents. So, the obstacle – your opponent – is actually the way to success.
Obstacles as Opportunities 3
Our opponents challenge us physically and mentally. Do they make us angry? No, they excite us! Because it’s through these challenges that our skills as martial artists improve. In this way, the obstacle – our opponent – is actually the way to becoming better.
You can’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides.
It’s easy to get caught up in the comparison game. Let me warn you that comparisons are not healthy or helpful. A great example is Matthew Perry. He was earning $1m a WEEK as a TV star in the series, Friends.
You’d think he’d have the perfect life right? If you saw his house, cars, vacations and girlfriends on social media you migt think, “Wow! Let me trade places with him!”
What you didn’t know is that Matthew suffers from major drug and alcohol addiction. Guess what? When you’re rich and famous you can get all the drugs you want. So he did and it almost killed him many times.
Remember, you cannot compare your insides to other people’s outsides.
Got it? Good. Let’s get to work!
You Ready To Become The Person You Want To Be?
Becoming the person you want to be is just like how a tiny seed slowly grows into a big tree. For us, it means learning new things, being kind to others, and believing in yourself.
Sometimes it can be a little hard or scary, but as long as you keep trying, you can change and grow into the amazing person you want to be, just like a superhero!
Let’s start by identifying the challenges you can tackle and make a difference.
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
Your Standards of Life
Martial arts helps us establish our standards.
For instance, we don’t eat or drink lots of unhealthy food and drink. Why? Because we treat our mind and body with more respect than that.
We don’t hang out with people who are dishonest, steal or do bad things, especially breaking the law.
We are not slaves to anger. We take control of the battle between our brain and our mouth because anger only makes things worse and that will not serve you well over your lifetime.
Got it? Good! Let’s get to work!
IDEAS
- Adversity introduces us to ourselves
- Talk is cheap but you can’t buy words back
- What you think of me is none of my business
The Quality of our Relationships Determine the Quality of Our Lives
Do you want to be right or happy?