In our everyday life as well as our martial arts, Budo, life we try as best we can to develop and be a success. However at some time, many if not all of us will come up against roadblocks or obstacles that hinder our progression. How we deal with them and identify them will be all-important to being a success in the long-term. Obstacles are natural occurrences and everyone faces them. In many cases, these obstacles can stop us completely in our tracks and leave us paralyzed, unable to move forward. The following addresses some identifiable blockers to our success as Budoka. Once identified, we are able to work to overcome them and again continue along our path to success in the martial arts.   

What is Success?

In order to continue we must first define success. Success from a martial arts or Budo standpoint includes our understanding of how we fit into the world and how the world is interconnected in all it myriad ways. Within The International Budo Institute we have a set of Dojo Kun or school principles which help to illustrate this interconnectedness between people and our environment. They are:

          1. Budo (martial arts) begins and ends with respect, tolerance and goodwill

          2. Gain self understanding and discover your true self

          3. Seek the positive in all things

          4. Always strive to develop your character further

          5. Remain in harmony with nature.

The above principles try to point to a higher purpose in life. Naturally, a higher purpose is not to make a million dollars, though that might be one of your goals. I want you to think about the really important things that at the end of your life you'll reflect back and think that your time was well spent or that you truly accomplished something that mattered or was of merit. That element of your success is really up to you specifically. Let's give a more generic working definition of success as follows:

"success is the ability to achieve, or the achievement of, the important life goals you set out for yourself being true to your nature, your environment, inner character and spiritual beliefs".

This definition will be useful in examining the seven blockers to success that many Budoka face at sometime in their martial art career and in their lives in general.

Seven Blockers To Success

The seven blockers to success that we need to identify. They are as follows:

          1. Fear

          2. Doubt

          3. Excuses

          4. Procrastination

          5. Greed

          6. Violating Your Conscious

          7. Laziness

The blockers above are natural in so far as they occur in a very natural way within our lives. Therefore, we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves when faced with one, several or all of these blockers. What we need to do is identify them, understand how they affect us, and then react or overcome them. It might take you considerable energy to overcome a blocker especially if it has been with you for a greater part of your life. The advantage of the human spirit, and the basis of Budo studies, is that we can all change no matter how ridged our habits. Budo tries to teach us courage to face our shortcomings and to look them square in the eye and change if need be. This process takes courage and a sense that you are not alone in your personal struggle. The dojo is full of many other Budoka all working on their own personal requirements.

Experiencing Failure and Being A Failure

We should all realize that there is a great difference between experiencing a failure and being a failure. We all will at some time in our lives experience a failure. Chances are we will experience several if not many failures throughout our lives. In fact we must experience failure to enable us to enjoy the wonder of success. So in a way the definition of success necessitates an understanding and appreciation of failure. Moreover, if you look throughout history you will come across many, many people of distinction that had previously failed at their attempts. It is mentioned that Edison tried hundreds if not thousands of times to invent the light bulb. Imagine if he was deterred by his previous failures. This leads us to an underlying universal truth about failure. Failure only lies in the past and does not determine the future, unless you allow it to deter you from accomplishing your goals. As another example, I have known budo students that did not pass their black belt exam the first time. They needed to work on and/or polish some of their material. Many of these students ended up passing on the second try, a mere six months later. They didn't let the fact that they were unsuccessful the first time stop them. Otherwise said, they didn't interpret the first exam as a failure and didn't see themselves as a failure nor did they let the unsuccessful first exam stop them from accomplishing their true goal. They interpreted the first exam as a learning experience, one that enabled them to be even stronger the second time around. This is courage because the people in question had to face their fear.

Fear

Fear is the number one reason why most people are unable to accomplish their goals or are unable to be a success. Fear is the feeling of inadequacy which is often accompanied by a feeling of being threatened. Fear can be devastating and can paralyze a person. Fear sets-up a perspective of failure and causes a person to visualize their own failure or defeat, instead of visualizing their success. Fear can be a reinforcing process building upon itself to a point where a person simply gives up trying.

In order to work against fear we must ask ourselves what we are afraid of.

Are you afraid of failure? As mentioned, everybody has failed at something at some time, so join the club. And remember it is one thing to fail and another to be a failure.

Are you afraid of criticism? You should realize that only people of low caliber and character will criticize someone for failing at a task or project. Further, people's attitudes change by the minute so pay no attention to them. Lastly, these people have accepted a low standard in their own lives and criticize so that they can reduce their own sense of self-guilt. Pay them no attention.

Are you afraid of rejection? Rejection by who? If you are truly loved then those people will continue to love you whether you fail or succeed. You must truly believe this.

Are you afraid to lose? You must remember that a lose is only a temporary defeat and not carved in stone for all eternity. Moreover, when you fail you are actually being given an excellent opportunity to learn what you might change in order to be a success the next time.

Doubt

Doubt is that uncertain feeling or lack of assurance in oneself. You should not doubt yourself. Often, we are our own worst enemies and set up our own failure by doubting our own abilities. Unfortunately, doubt causes us to be unsteady and unsure in the face of our challenges, the exact time when we need the exact opposite from ourselves. In the martial arts there is ample opportunity to face your self doubt. The challenges are difficult at times and we need to believe in ourselves and in our fellow students and teachers.

Doubt can arise from several places.

1. Past failures, however everybody has failed at some time
2. False guilt, you don't feel like you can and you are being overly hard on yourself
3. Negative influences, these might be in your environment or even amongst the people you love, but you must learn to tune them out and believe in yourself
4. Poor self image: We are the way we think we are and if you have a poor self image you need to start to believe in yourself and to start to love yourself. You must realize that you are ultimately responsible for your own self-image. You must realize that poor self image or self destructive statements stop you from being governed by opportunity.

Making Excuses

In Budo I have a saying that when you are looking for an excuse any excuse will do. Some people are experts at making excuses. They have a different excuse for every thing that comes up. Unfortunately excuses build into your character the qualities that ultimately will defeat you. You must change your attitude and stop wasting time and energy in excuses and channel that energy into developing your Budo and life skills. You mustn't waste your life in excuses and you shouldn't put up with your own excuses because once you get into the habit of making excuses that process will begin to affect every aspect of your life.

Procrastination

Procrastination can be defined two ways; putting off till tomorrow what you should do today; and, putting off till tomorrow that which is very discomforting for you to do today. We all know the effects of being a procrastinator or the affect that procrastination can have on our lives. However, procrastination can also come in the form of perfectionism. That is, are you a perfectionist? Are you a perfectionist to the point that you get bogged down by worry that you will be unable to achieve that level of perfection and so you decide to put it off until another time. In the martial arts we have a strong focus on perfection, however, that is a search for perfection, a state that is unattainable by definition. Perfection is simply a target or a beacon that illuminates the way for us. So does your perfectionism stop you or cause you to procrastinate. If so you need to stop worrying about being so perfect, relax and get going.

A further example is found in our Budo studies of students who become stalled at the brown belt level, immediately before the black belt exam. These students start to procrastinate either because they feel that their technique is not perfect enough for the black belt exam or they have serious self-doubt brought on by themselves or people in their surroundings. As students we must be diligent to ward off these tendencies and see them for what they truly are, another type of test.

Greed

Greed is the insatiable hunger for more than what you need and more than what you can use. Greed is a bottomless pit that causes a person to constantly want more and more. Greed creates a feeling in a person that they never have enough and because of that they are constantly taking and taking. Greed has nothing to do with circumstance and a person can be greedy whether they are rich or poor. In short, there is no way to practice greed or to be greedy without abusing someone. In this way greed sets us up for long-term failure in our lives. By constantly thinking about what you are trying to get you limit or prevent yourself from giving.

Giving or giving of oneself is an integral part of being a success in life as well as the martial arts. A universal truth in the world is that you will only receive by giving. It is a divine cycle: the more you give the more you get. As soon as you shut it down in yourself you will stop getting in return. You must realize that there is no truly or genuinely successful person who is greedy. Likewise, it is impossible to be a success on your own. In the martial arts this is a lesson that is paramount with your training, but do you have this in your heart in your life as well.

Violating Your Conscious

We all have a conscious and if you have been raised appropriately your conscious is probably working. Your conscious kicks in when you hear that alarm bell go off in your head at times when you face moral dilemmas or dangers. So ask yourself how it is possible to be a success if you violate your conscious. When you do violate your conscious you will know immediately on the inside that it doesn't fit your character and you will experience feelings of discomfort and inner conflict. Further, if you violate your conscious you will not have any peace in your spirit. It is impossible in this state to truly be a success in the way we defined success at the outset. You must endeavor to be true to your conscious and act in an appropriate way so that you know that your actions are just and by acting this way you may be at peace with yourself. This is the foundation on which you can build a successful life both within and without the martial arts.

Laziness

Laziness is the act of not being industrious. It is the thought that you will do exactly that which is enough to get you by. Many people are lazy because they feel that the environment will not reward them if they apply themselves and work hard. Why work hard if the other person does not. We must realize that we should not and can not act in a certain manner based upon what other people are doing. You must put your energy into your work whether or not others do the same. You simply can not be a success in your life by being lazy, idle or slothful. In order to work against laziness you need a plan or a goal. You must identify your goal(s) and work with direction in mind to achieve them. The martial arts provide numerous examples where one can do this. You must ask yourself if you do the same outside in your everyday life as well.

Conclusion

In order to be a success in the martial arts or in life we must recognize that we need to create a personal definition of what it means to be a success. This definition should include your understanding of what you believe are your most precious life goals. We all must identify that on the road to being a success there are many obstacles. Success is not cheap nor does it come easy. Attaining the rank of Black Belt takes time, energy and courage. There is nothing in this world that is worthwhile and comes without sacrifice and effort. So, in securing a greater possibility for a successful life and career in the martial arts focus on the following questions, be honest with yourself and remember that success has little to do with your present circumstances and everything to do with how you look at success and the obstacles that block you.

          1. Does fear stop me from achieving my life (Budo) goals?

          2. Is one of my problems (self) doubt?

          3. Am I always making excuses?

          4. Am I a procrastinator?

          5. Deep inside me am I greedy in any way?

          6. Do I find myself at times violating my conscious?

          7. Am I lazy or diligent in my work?

By honestly answering the above and by helping those around you and giving of yourselves I am sure that success will come to you all.

Source: The author would like to acknowledge the work of Dr. Charles Stanley whose sermon this essay is based.