Resilience and overcoming Adversity

Resilience! Strength in overcoming adversity!
In work, relationships and life in general, this is a key quality. Adversity will happen. But it’s how we choose to see the situation that defines how we overcome. If we see these things as an opportunity to grow, we will. When we feel defeated, angry or sad, we should acknowledge these feelings, (they are only human and normal) and then move on. It is important that we don’t judge ourselves harshly for negative feelings, they are only feelings. It is in our actions that we truly become who we are.
Resilience is also needed in training. Anything we want to do well will take focus and determination in order to succeed.  When things become difficult and feelings of frustration surface, we need resilience to push through and keep moving forward. Promotions, for example, can be a time of great accomplishment, but can also be a time of disappointment once in awhile. If you are a Kensho parent, you’ve probably read our “Secrets of Kensho Black Belt Parents”, in the welcome packet you received at orientation. You can also find it posted on our Kensho bulletin board.  (Or click here to view) The guide states, “Black belt parents remember why their child joined in the first place; not just to be promoted and earn belts, but to improve themselves as people.” This holds true for our adult students as well. We should all be aware how we are developing through our martial arts practice as a whole person. Realizing, rank graduation, is just a part of the big picture. Sometimes the strongest motivation can be not getting what we want. Making mistakes, learning from them and getting yourself to the next level is a rewarding challenge! But if we are rewarded without truly earning, the rewards then become meaningless.
Promotion without the skills needed to train at the next level can also be dangerous. Your instructor is responsible for making sure, through testing and observation, you are ready to add more technique before awarding you the next belt. For example, promoting a student to level 2, (gold belt), who is clearly not ready for Kali (weapons training), can cause injury and/or undue stress and frustration for the student as well as the training partners.
You will find that some things come easier than others and everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses to work with. We must always be respectful of where we are in our martial arts training and practice. Most importantly, HAVE FUN and KEEP GOING! As long as you keep going, you will continue growing and get there, in your own time.
As the saying goes…
“A black belt is a white belt that NEVER quit.”