Be yourself is bad lazy advice. You know that question that you layout for people, “What should I do?” You know when you’re looking at possibly a date or a job interview or important moment. “What should I do?” You are seeking information. You are seeking counsel. “How can I make this moment better?”
Just Be Yourself
The question of what should I do without exception comes back with, “Just be yourself.” It comes from someone and it comes from somewhere but it always comes. In saying that here is what they mean. They are saying that they are lazy. Be yourself is not a thoughtful answer. It’s weak it is misguided and you will do poorly if you heed that bad lazy advice. See, you should be better than yourself. You should be what you want to be.
You should seek that ascendant self. Seek that higher self. The self that is more responsible to those around them and unto themselves. We are a cluster of emotions. A ball desires and a bucket of needs, that are upon examination rather ugly.
Take It Into Consideration
Pause for a moment. If you acted the way you want to act would you want to be around yourself? That’s an honest question. If you acted the way you wanted would you want to be around yourself? The answer is, “No.” The next time you get the lazy misguided answer of, “Just be yourself,” know that that person who gave you that advice is lazy or not qualified to give you advice. You should politely leave their company at least on this issue.
We will become better by not being ourselves. That sounds strange but think about it for a moment. We only become better, not being ourselves. Then we ingrain that higher behavior into ourselves until it becomes 1st nature. That’s a process that should never end.
Here are a few other podcasts and blogs that you will find interesting.
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
Secret societies don’t care about you. A fun little observation and it is that The Secret teachings of the Illuminati, the Rosicrucian’s, the Mason, Skull and Bones, the Trilateral Commission, generally the occult mysticism. And from the Mike Myers movie So I Married an Axe Murder, The Pentaverant, with Colonel Sanders before he died.
Secret teachings of these groups fall into three categories, the reasons for their secrecy. When the teaching is experiencing banning by the orthodoxy. That the teaching is not compatible with societies in a general way. And so now you can’t do that, so they go underground.
The other one is the teaching is easy to dismiss in other words it’s a bunch of hokum and it doesn’t equate, add or make life better.
The 3rd one and the most common of all is that most people just don’t care.
Secret Societies Don’t Care About You
Most people don’t care about the secrets of these groups. they can be all sorts of different ideas, go back to the names listed at the beginning and you can see the first bunch of ideology there and when people do take an interest it is often for the salacious, the weird, the strange, and obscure all those kinds of good things.
I like it to it’s fun it’s entertaining but the fact of the matter is that the lack of interest that most people have about these kinds of things. well, encounter works both ways on the equation.
People want to just go about their day and do the things the baby to do without bothering the other side without bothering the Illuminati were just gonna go about our business in the Illuminati is trying to go about their business Without bothering people of course unless you take the position that they are.
It’s Entertaining
Then we go back to that salacious sort of fun aspect of these groups. See the secrets are there, sure most of the time, but people are busy and focused on their own lives and problems.
If you don’t believe me go ask an acquaintance for assistance with an issue that you face. You know an issue that takes some effort. You will find out they are just not that interested in what’s going on in your world or how they can help. Secret societies and folks on what’s important in their day-to-day lives.
Yeah, two examples of a Gee whiz observation just for fun, and I hope you are grinning as you find the idea of people being disinterested in secret societies and your life are about the same and a fun observation.
Here are a few other topics to which you can read or listen.
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
The best style of karate to learn for a great life. It is not the one that you think it is. The way you are thinking about this endeavor is in styles and tactics. You are thinking about the methods of defending yourself. You are likely thinking about getting in shape. Learning discipline and several other ideas.
Those are the reasons you are asking, “What’s the best style?” No person when shopping for food wants the blemished apple or the wilted vegetable. We want fresh fruits and vegetables. This the same approach you are using in seeking a martial arts school for yourself or your children. “What is the best and how can I access that experience?”
Few people are thinking twice when you or your child announces they are going to move across the country to attend a University. Do the same with martial arts and you are insane, or at least going through a phase.
Listen to how that sounds, “I am going to go to the other coast to go to this University because they have the best program.” Now listen to this phrase. “I’m going to move across the country to this martial art school because they have the best program.” It’s an extraordinary reaction. One version of this you nod in the agreement, the other you shake your head.
The main takeaway with martial arts is that you are going to gain discipline. You are going to gain physical ability. You are going to become more focused mentally. There are sub-sets to those items. Some sub-sets may be losing weight or increased flexibility. The fellowship and social interaction of like-minded people also come into play.
All These Are The Formula of Your Choice Process.
This issue of seeking a martial arts school is now solved. How your martial art is chosen is not what you think it is. Nor what it should be. The answer you didn’t expect, the best karate style to learn for life Is the one that’s closest to your home.
The reason is it’s the one you are going to take part in it’s the one you are going to attend. You choose your martial arts school because it’s convenient. That is not a condescending statement. It is a statement of truth. The farther your school is from where you live the less likely you are to attend. The frequency of attendance drops and frequency of attendance is everything.
The Best Style of Karate to Learn for a Great Life Style is of Little Consequence
It doesn’t make any difference if it’s Kung-Fu Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, or Boxing. It makes no difference what art you are doing. The closer you are to the school the higher likelihood you have of attending. That frequency of attendance is giving you opportunity and advantages
We’ve listed benefits such as discipline, environment, fellowship, weight loss, flexibility. There are likely others on your list that also exist. The way to solve your problem of choosing the best style of karate to learn for a great life is not what is the best style. It is actually which martial art is convenient for you.
One Part Process
Once you’ve established there are 1 or 2 convenient martial art schools in your vicinity then go visit. Go visit regardless of style or system. Decide if it’s a fit. How does the class feel to you? I mean truly how does it feel? It’s not a squishy question, it’s an actual real question.
What’s the vibe you are getting from the class, or the instructor? That feeling, that vibe isn’t going to change that’s the vibe of the school. Is what is happing at the school is resonating with you? If it looks good you needn’t look any further you are where you need to be.
Here’s your actionable item. Find a couple of places that are close to your home. Try to stay within 7 miles of your house. Then get out and visit the clubs, groups, or schools. Find the one that feels good and train there.
Proximity and Positive Experience
When have proximity and a positive experience you are going to train. When you have proximity and positive experience you have chosen the best style of karate to learn for a great life.
The best style of karate to learn for a great life has little to do with how you hold your fist. It is not important the number of animals your system uses as icons or the country of origin. The best style of karate to learn for a great life is the one you will attend regularity. Because like anything in life it is about consistency and commitment.
Here are a few other links you may find of interest.
The School System & Martial Arts
10 Rules of Karate for You
Martial Arts Insights Way Beyond Punching and Kicking
See how we can connect. Click on my picture.
KRIS WILDER
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
The unique and special formula. A conversation with a friend regarding the Google Algorithm turned into an observation. The levels of interest and focus you freely give to the almighty Google prove you are not that special.
We are all special except we are not. Amazon knows when you are ready to buy a replacement for the product you use. And YouTube, knows what we like. It’s the key to their survival as a business.
The Unique and Special Formula reads this way. If you can be replaced, you are not special. The longer it takes to replace you the more special you can be.
Here is a subset of that formula, how long does it take to replace anything withing your view? Pretty fast is the answer. We think we are unique. We think the things that moves us are special and the items that move us are profound and unusual.
How to identify the Unique and Special Formula and then use it to shape your world is not as difficult as you may think. The results can be disturbing and also bring clarity.
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
Promising You an Easy Life. An easy life is something we desire, who doesn’t want that?
And it is the kind of life that results in an unedited, soft life. I would argue a trivial life. We can’t escape the trauma the hardship of this life it is in the nature of our existence, it is inescapable.
Pain is Not Welcome
It’s not welcomed and it often is horrific in many ways but it is. We seek a painless life it’s our nature to avoid pain. A simple proof is when we touch a hot stove, we only do it once.
Every great religion, every great philosophy, every great myth, every great legend, every great parable contains the negative element. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make all the bad go away. Who wouldn’t want that for their child their wife their partner their spouse or anybody else that they cared about?
But I nor anybody else on the face of the Earth has the power to do so not in the long run. In the short run, we can put bandages on it. We can do surgery; we can do the things that kind of patch over or in some instances even solve the problem, but there’s always another one coming.
The Little Dutch Boy and Sisyphus
We’re like the little Dutch boy from the story, running around from dike to dike putting his fingers in the next leak.
The Secret to this is to put your feet underneath you, to stand tall. Do what needs to be done and do it to the best of your ability. If you do it wrong if you get knocked down get your footing reset. When you get a win celebrate. If it goes your way acknowledge it, and if you do a job well-done sit in for a little while and enjoy. When you get a break, something happens that is unexpected and this wonderful. Go ahead take a moment to be grateful. Enjoy because there is no promising you an easy life.
Celebrate Your Victories
It isn’t an easy life but then you knew that. Now what you need to do is go out and enjoy it. Did I just say that you’re supposed to enjoy pain? No, I didn’t say that. Am I saying you are supposed to enjoy your victories and your celebrations? Absolutely.
All of these require you to have your feet underneath you. To stand tall and do what needs to be done. All the while knowing that in some instances it will not be sufficient and in other ways, you will fail and fail big. But you do your best.
You do it to the best of your ability and you acknowledge that you’ve done so and move on. This is why we don’t have an easy life. It was never promised to us and as the classic song from the 70 says, “I never promised you a rose garden.”
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
The Karate Master’s Indomitable Spirit. The following is a short except from our book Legends of the Masters…
Two masters engaged in a contest before their assembled disciples. The results of the battle would determine once and for all who was the greater warrior. The struggle was long and fierce. Each man determined to make the other submit while fortifying his own spirit in hopes to persevere.
At long last the first master managed to secure the second in a stranglehold. Knowing that time was short, for he would quickly lose the contest, the second master struck his adversary a mighty blow, dislocating his ankle. The master then pitched his body askew with all the force of his considerable frame. All this in an effort to wrest his neck clear of the other’s grasp. As his ankle slipped its socket, the first master found that he could no longer bear the pain. With a heavy heart signaled submission.
The Karate Master’s Indomitable Spirit Comes Out
Releasing his stranglehold only to find a lifeless body atop him, the first master discovered that the second had broken his own neck attempting to escape. Having submitted to a dead man the first master hung his head in shame, for he had discovered that through indomitable spirit any victory is possible.
Even for a dead man.
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Legends of the Masters retools Aesop’s lesser-known fables and a few original creations like the one above, re-imagining them to meet the needs and interests of modern martial artists. Reflecting upon the wisdom of yesteryear in this new light will surely bring value for practitioners of the arts today… If you’d like to read more, click on the book cover.
Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.
