Onegaishimasu Parents and students,
You may have noticed our recent mat chats focusing on the words and phrases you and your child use to create the proper mental state for success. OK….. I wanted to talk to you about something that quite literally can change you, and your children’s lives.
Your attitude is fuelled by the words you and your child use which determines the state of the world you live in. It is the foundation for every success and every failure you have had, and will have. It will make you or break you. It isn’t intelligence or talent that determine a child’s success….. it is Attitude and Effort!!!
It is your attitude toward yourself and the world around you that determines the resulting attitude toward you. If you have a positive, joyful attitude, you get positive, joyful results. Put out a bad, negative attitude and you fail before you begin. Basically the universe gives back exactly what you put out.
Attitude and Effort are the great EQUALIZER in life!! Having a great attitude, and putting in the work will beat talent every time talent doesn't show up prepared to do the work.
Here’s what I mean by that:
At some point in our lives most of us have either played with, or watched that one kid on a team or in school, that is so blessed with natural ability but only puts in 50% effort and shows up half the time… Not very coachable, or teachable???
Now, think of that one kid that goes out and tries his/her best every single time, pours everything into every minute, is “present” in class, on the field or rink, and lifts those around him/her with their effort and positive spirit!! You just can’t help but cheer for that person. What makes them even more endearing is their coachability! Learning and development will naturally follow because they have right "CORE" Attitude…It’s inevitable. That’s why I call
Attitude and Effort the great equalizer in life.
Your attitude controls your life. Here’s the good news….. You are in complete control of your words, and your attitude. Your words create your attitude, and your attitude creates the way you feel about people and situations. Your actions are a result of your attitude, which, in turn, creates a reaction from others. For example……Even though we may not succeed in our first, third, or even ten attempts, it helps to understand that it is in our failures we find amazing opportunities to learn and grow. Training ourselves to actually look forward to, and view our failures as tremendous life changing, and positive growth opportunities can radically change our lives, and those around us.
Ask yourself this very important question: “Is it possible to try your best and still fall just a little short of success, or not win???” The answer is invariably YES!! Yes it is entirely possible, and it happens every day in the “Real World” However, our success shouldn’t be measured in our wins or victories, but moreover in how we move forward and react after failures. Because it is in how we react to these experiences, and use them to better ourselves moving forward that will take us to new levels and help us discover our full potential.
I have always found solace in knowing I tried my best no matter what the outcome, and can be proud of that. Even when I came up short!
Where do negative attitudes come from?
Negative attitudes come from thinking negative thoughts over and over until they become part of your subconscious, part of your personality. They become habitual. You may not even realize you have a negative attitude because it’s been with you for so long. People tell themselves the same bad story over and over until they eventually become that bad story.
Once you have a bad attitude, you expect failure and disaster. Those expectations, in turn, become a magnet for failure and disaster.
Then it becomes a vicious cycle: You expect the worst, so you get the worst. Your negative beliefs are reinforced. So you expect the worst, and you get the worst.
So, how do you shift your thoughts and create a positive attitude?
First: You can’t just stop being negative…..you have to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
Some people would say, “But negative situations are a reality. This is absolutely not true. Situations are a reality, yes. They do show up, yes. However you are the deciding factor…..It is your attitude that makes a situation positive or negative. You are in control of how you think and feel—no one else on earth has this power unless you give it away.
Second: It takes work, but creating anything of value takes work. In order to have a new attitude, you have to create new habits. First off, change your thinking, and the story you are telling yourself. How? By NOTICING every time a negative thought crosses your mind, and deciding to replace it with a positive one until positive thinking becomes habit. You’re merely replacing an old habit with a healthy habit, much like replacing smoking with exercise.
Third: Visualize!!!! Highly successful people, including professional athletes, can visualize themselves in winning situations or living their success long before they actually achieve it. Quite literally they are living in their dream before they get there.
So there you have it….ATTITUDE and EFFORT mean everything!!!
Take control of your attitude, your state of mind, and you take control of your results!!
Have an Amazing Week
Sensei
Keiko Karate – “Actually we do make Ninjas and Superheroes here………………we turn kids into Ninjas and we turn their parents into their superheroes!”