Have you ever noticed that the challenges you sometimes face on the class room floor or mat also contain a blessing in disguise? If not, you may not have been looking closely enough! It’s true that challenges often seem more like inconveniences when they get in the way of something you want or a goal you are training to reach. When you’re working toward goals that are important to you, the last thing you want is to face a big challenge or obstacle, because it usually means that your desired outcome will be delayed. However, if you learn to see challenges in a new light, they can easily become the best things to have happen to you.
For myself, I've had to deal with injuries that would only allow me to do limited training or only allow me to train out of one position in order to avoid making the injury worse. More often than not, this always leads to much improved knowledge and skill that I would not have discovered if I had not been forced to do the modified training.
Here are 3 questions I always ask myself whenever I find myself facing challenges:
1. What Can I Learn From This?
Too often we view challenges as annoyances, when in fact they may hold a great opportunity to learn and grow! If you start by asking what you can learn from each challenge, you’ll suddenly see them as possibilities that pave the way to greater wisdom and self-mastery.
2. How Can This Strengthen Me?
One major reason why challenges intimidate us is because we don’t feel capable of handling them. So we automatically believe that the challenge is bigger than we are. However, if you learn to see challenges as opportunities to become stronger, there’s no way they can hold you back!
3. How Can I Use This to My Advantage?
Most often we see challenges as disadvantages – but is that necessarily true? A challenge can often help you see that there are many possible ways to achieve a goal, and the one you’ve chosen may not necessarily be the best one. Asking this question can often open your mind to alternative routes that may be shorter or otherwise better in some way.
I believe a warrior's mindset will seek out challenges and obstacles in order to force personal growth and advancement both on the mat and off. After all, it is better to find out what your weaknesses are on the mat than it is on the street.
As always thank you for your support! Train Hard and Finish Strong!
