Today I read a comment on Tom Callos’s Facebook page and it went like this:

“Sure like what you and the New Way Network are doing with Martial Arts not by teaching “life skills” but by living life skillfully and inspiring others to to the same thing.”

That is when it struck me.  The role I have taken on in the community is one of “living life skillfully” and being an example of this to others.  So I thought I would share with the world what I wrote up as my purpose in life.

My purpose is to use my enthusiasm and patience to teach and lead others to be their best physically, mentally and spiritually for the good of themselves and others.

To do that better I need to share more of my life with everyone and let them see what I am working on and how I am doing with those goals.  You will also see the areas I struggle with and how I either persevere and get through it or fail and start over.   Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone in the world was working on themselves and helping others do the same.

I hope to set an example and others will join me.  I could use the help with my physical workouts and having others to talk to that are interested in the same goals of supporting, inspiring, teaching and leading others to bring out the best in themselves.

The purpose of the UBBT 6 is to grow in our quest to mastery.  Mastery not just of the physical skills, but really mastery of life.  This week in my post on the UBBT site I talked about the Mastery Quote that we are assigned to memorize.  The one section of this post was especially reaching me this past couple of weeks, dealing with our attitude towards masters and ourselves.

When we see someone who is really good at something this quote encourages us not to resent them but rather to recognize them as masters and be compassionate with yourself so that you give yourself the time and room to grow, with nourishment, into your own individual mastery.  All of us are different.  We do not have the same skills, personality or ways.  But at the same time all of us are the same.  We have similar fears, concerns and needs.

There are very few things that no one has done before.  So when we see someone that has accomplished a task or skill and that is something that we want to be able to do, the truth is we can do it.  The only question is if we have the perseverance and determination to follow the steps and examples that the master has done.  If we follow the same steps – we will likely get the same results.

I am testing this myself.  I am learning how to be a better teacher and motivator.  I am studying those that before I may have resented and put down.  But now I refuse to condemn myself, or others, but rather I am working on cutting out the negative talk in my head and stepping into unknown ground.  I have the coaches in place.  Now I must practice.

It has been very hard for me to get back into my routine.  I have moments when everything feels like it is getting there and then there is a breakdown and I feel completely disconnected again.  Does Hawaii do that to you or is it something else?  When we come back from summer vacation it can be a releif that there is more routine in our lives.  Use this time to re-establish your personal routine to a better you.

To get back into routine there are some simple steps to take:

1. Be sure to eat the right foods and get back on your schedule of eating. (5-6 meals a day)
2. Force yourself to go to bed at the same time and get up at that same time.(even on weekends)
3. Begin your physical regimen as soon as possible.  (begin with physical activity with a partner / teammate)
4. Add your personal physical activity day by day. (include a stretching routine)
5. Start a reading routine again.  (be sure to get at least 30 minutes to one hour of reading in everyday)
6. Stay in touch with your mentors or teammates on a daily basis. (this adds accountability)
7. Journal your results everyday.  (this is for you to see where you can adjust and make improvements)
8. Limit & schedule time spent on email, internet activities and television.
9. Schedule time for doing charity work in your community
10. Be sure to celebrate your successes by allowing yourself to do something special for yourself.

Daily working on yourself is a part of living your best life, setting a great example for those watching (read our kids), keeping up both our mental and physical health.  If you are feeling tired or worn out all the time – something is missing in your life.  It may be a good routine of great healthy, ‘Living Like a Champion’ activities.   Join with me in the activity of routine and watch what I am doing to live the best life I can.

I am on a trip to visit with Tom Callos and a couple of the others who are a part of UBBT 6. So far it has rained a bit everyday but not like the last time I was here. This is the complete opposite of any martial arts convention I have ever been too. There is none of the ego – “how many schools, students, cars, money” – do you have and just some honest talk about how to improve ourselves, school and students.

We have done some pretty interesting things too like a visit to several water falls, in the water with giant sea turtles and a look at some local architecture. What does this have to do with martial arts? All of these things are a part of life and what I feel like we are really teaching our students is not just the physical part of the arts, but about life. Learning to appreciate everything around us, how to take what we learn on the practice mat into the world.

It is also a time for some down time. A bit of relaxing and rejuvenation for everyone to be ready to get back into the new sessions when we return home. I am very comfortable here. I am re working my own mind for being a better teacher of life art and peace when I return.

For the past couple of weeks I have been revisiting what it is that I am trying to accomplish.  What is my purpose for being on this earth?   Am I headed in the correct direction to do well with that purpose?  It has been a process.  Yesterday I finally was able to write down what I believe my purpose to be and so here it is.

My purpose is to use my enthusiasm and patience to teach and lead others to be their best physically, mentally, and spiritually for the good of themselves and others.

How I came to the conclusion of this unique role, was done by asking myself a few questions.

1. I first named 2 good personal qualities that I felt were unique for me.
2. Then I named a couple of ways I enjoy expressing those qualities.
3. Finally I wrote a sentence or two describing how I saw the perfect world.  What it looked like, felt like, everything that I saw.

Combining the answer of those three items is how I came up with my written purpose for being a part of this universe.  I will continue this project now by looking at my goals and vision to be sure that everything I do are in line with what I believe my unique role is in the universe.  This is the beginning of success and happiness.

If you would like to try this contact me.  It would be interesting to go through this process with others who desire to not just exist, but answer the higher calling.

The following is the note I made in my physical journal.  I changed something up in my way of approaching my sets and biking.  I have been alternating biking and doing my push ups and sit ups so  that I am able to get 10 miles or more on the bike and my 5 sets in between.  It is giving me a good workout prior to the rest of the routine.

“Today was decent with a great deal of other things going on.  I am very happy with the combination of the bike and sets and then work on the other pieces of the physical. I also posted an I am today and that made me happy too.”

The I am I posted was on being thoughtful.  Even this part of the test I am understanding better as I practice doing them.  It is not just thoughts but also a way of creating an affirmation of want I want to be, I am, or I am working on being.  It is a way of making me aware of what I should be continuing to work on.

Here is a very interesting fact that I would like to share with everyone.  The more I work out and do the physical part of the UBBT, the more I am able to think clearly about other parts of the school, my test and family.  In fact there is no part of my life that is not affected.  I throw that out there so that if anyone is feeling not so good about some part of their life, I am going to suggest to get involved in a physical activity.  Of course I think it should be our martial arts, but find something that you can do that works you out everyday.  Find an activity that gets your cardio going and is making you stronger.  I believe that you, like me,  will find everything else will become clearer.

If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem wonderful at all. Michaelangelo

We have just past the middle of this year of UBBT, and it is not the completion of this journey that in the end will be so important to us, but rather the story.  The story of the education, training, practice, discipline and sacrifice.  It is the commitment we have made and the willingness to keep that commitment that will be the big difference.

This past week was not my best as I struggled in many ways.  Physically not getting it done.  Mentally not always present in the moment.  But the one part of the journey that did stand up was my willingness to continue reading and listening to the stories of others and my students around me that encouraged me without even knowing that they were doing so.

Now just in the right moment I get to travel to Hawaii to be with others of like mind.  Others that I believe are training and educating, practicing and sacrificing, paying the price  – or investing in themselves and ultimately those that they influence.

Once again this week I will be stepping outside my zone of safety and comfort as I do things for our school that are not the easiest for me to do.  There are a number of things changing in the next 6 months to a year and I must be ready.  If there is one thing I have learned it is that keeping up with my routine physically, mentally, spiritually and giving to others will strengthen my ability to stay with my commitment.

After a week of feeling a bit on the down side, we had some students come in and really act as a pick me up for me.  Everett Cortes in one day did 1000 (yes you read it right) pushups.  His sister did 470, last count I heard and both of them were pushing me a little to do more.  On that day I only did 195 along with a pretty good weight lifting morning.

Needless to say I had to try  a little harder to stay up with them.  So this morning I went in early to the studio and did sets, forms, biking, kicks, meditation to some pretty good numbers.  The rest of this day will be used to cook, spend some time outside – the weather is perfect – and get ready in a number of ways for my trip to see Tom Callos and a few of my teammates.

Right now though some of my best teammates are the ones right here that are helping me stay on track.  I will use this weekend also to do some writing and planning.  (Though I just read a passage in a book that said “stop planning and start doing”)  Good advice, don’t you think?  Look at my results on the Results page in this journal.  Did you see the 16 rounds of sparring we got in on Friday.  You can’t do that by yourself!

This has been an interesting month.  First I had my 55th birthday. There was a great write up in the paper, like never before.  It was great press.  Then I found out I will need hip replacement at some point.  Even though I had a great start to the month physically and feel very strong, I just started feeling a bit down and like I had reached a limit that I could not go past.  Things started to slow down a bit for me.

I am feeling some pressure and worry about different parts of my own life.  I worry about the school and the direction I need to go.  But more important I want to live up to everything I want to be.  At times I have so many things that I want to do that nothing gets done.  Has anyone else ever felt that way?

So the last 2 days have not been my best.  I know that it is time to stop feeling sorry for myself or allowing my own negative thoughts to bog me down, and get on with what is important to me.  (Oh by the way, maybe I should make a list of what is important to me and then work on those things.)  If only we had the knowledge and wisdom that we get when we are older – when we were young.  I’m going to get this life thing down soon!

I cannot believe that I have not put anything up on this journal for this length of time.  It just shows that we really are creatures ( or at least I am) one that needs to be scheduled and sometimes prodded to do what we commit to do.

The month of June was one of my best physically and we were able to get the new improved website up for our students and all of those that are following our journey.  It may not have been the best month for the student members and I realize my responsibility to keep encouraging them along.  They have been a rock for me in many ways and I really appreciate having them there to help me out with the things you cannot do by yourself and to prod me too.

So the numbers are here at this link.  Totals for the 6 month time frame is here.

June Numbers

Total Numbers

So where do we go from here?  I have a lot that I want to accomplish in the next 7 months.  I am at 5 sets of 65 with my push ups and sit ups.  That is good.  I have not started my boxing or scheduled the self defense course.  That is bad.  I want to get some Kali in and have not started that yet.  That needs to get going very soon.  I am still struggling with getting all the miles in, though June was pretty good on its own.  Acts of Kindness are not getting recorded properly and I need to set the lead in that, especially with this school year coming up and the push I want to make in the school system.

So there is a lot of work to do.  Last Child in the Woods project, teacher instruction, new database with all of our drills in them, the I am project, Living Hero’s etc…

It takes a great deal of focus and concentration to live the life of a master.  I must take one day at a time and do my best every day.  I am still working on the focus thing.  How about you?  Would you focus with me for a month on one thing that we can all do better?  That is how I shall approach the end of this year knowing that I have next year and the Live Like a Champion coming up.  I would love to have you with me on that journey.  We can do more together than we can do alone.  Join me!