Keeping at It

It’s been fifteen days since I last ran, and those 10.5 miles took their toll on a body that still needs some conditioning.

Have I quit running? No. I’m just learning the hard way that everything in life has its price. In this case a strained tendon and sprained ankle. Doesn’t really matter though. This minor setback is well worth the joy I felt running those 10.5 miles and the mental boost it gave me afterwards.

Today two of my greatest teachers, my sons, also reminded me that pushing yourself to excel is well worth the effort. A while back I blogged about my oldest son’s tae kwon do class, and now his younger brother is in it as well. Those two little ninjas in the making are so serious about that class, it’s amazing to watch them.

To measure progress in the class the students receive tips (color tape wraps) on their uniform belts to signify they’ve demonstrated knowledge of a technique or concept like focus. Those tips are what drive my oldest son to act totally serious and focused in class and to push himself to execute his moves as powerfully and methodically as he can. Again, I have to say how amazing this is to watch.

Tonight’s lesson is inspired by my two little martial artists (imagine what’s going to happen when their beautiful baby sister is of dating age - they will have a combined 36 years of martial arts under their belt). To excel in anything you must practice discipline and focus and execute with heart and passion. You might not get a black belt right away, but keep at it, and one day you will.

And to drive this lesson home, let’s revisit one of my favorite flicks from the ‘80s. I can already imagine the day when I'll be coaching my kids at martial arts tournaments. My daughter is actually the toughest one of them all and she likes to fight dirty (hits the other two with anything she can get her little hands on).