What's stopping you?

This is not aimed at any one person. So read it and take from it what you will.
 

I know I NEED to practice my material. I haven't devoted enough time to my katas as I have in the past.  Why? I have been consumed with tracking stolen items. Material items that can be replaced. Now that I have identified my hurdle it disappears. 

Cochise Stronghold, Arizona

So why the cliff face?  When you first come up to a cliff face it looks daunting. The thought enters your head,  " I can't climb that!" Then with great scrutiny you look and see minute details in the rock. Hand holds, foot holds, cracks and crannys. This is how you overcome a challenge like this.  The only way you can rock climb is one hand hold, one foot hold at a time.  You slowly make your way up the rock. Next thing you know your standing a top looking back saying, "that wasn't that bad!" Same is true with one of our katas. You first see it and say OMG there is no way I can learn that! You practice small pieces with your teacher and slowly your remember more and more.  Then you are one or two moves ahead of your teacher and POW it's yours! 


Fear is a factor in both. Fear is a poison, once it enters, it gets into everything you do. You must banish it from your very being.  It prevents you from learning, from growing, from enjoying YOUR life.  You can live in fear of just about anything OR your can live your life. 

When I saw this part of the movie Apocalypto, I knew I was onto something.  Fear MUST be struck from your heart.  How does fear and Kung Fu connect? I'd bet you that if I said before your next test you must stand in front of the class and give a brief talk about the history of Shaolin Do. Would you be scared? How about if I said I signed you up for a demo at the next tournament with a kata that you haven't learned yet? For those NOT in Kung Fu. What if your supervisor walked up to your work area and said you have a presentation in 15 minutes. Here are the directions to the place. By the way the profitability of the whole company rides on your shoulders.  Ahh, there it is! Fear scratching at you from the inside making you uncomfortable.Your heart sinks you get that metallic taste in your mouth and want to say, "Uh, I don't think I can..."  YES YOU CAN!

You can accomplish ANYTHING! Remeber those hand holds from the cliff face? One step at a time. There is a corny joke I used to tell my 6th grade classes, How do you eat an elephant? they would always say, "eat an elephant?! That's impossible!" My response, "One bite at a time."

Good luck! Remember, it never get's easier. You only get BETTER!