The Eight Powers
Posted on | September 26, 2009 | 1 Comment
Many consider the martial arts a source of power. Certainly it is that. However, power without principles is a temporary phenomenon and that ultimately leads to dissipation of efforts or failure.
Long-term success in the martial arts industry, as in other industries, can be equally challenging for those with the added power of experience and those who are just starting in the industry. Short term success is achieved by many. But it is the few who are able to utilize time honored principles maintain long term success.
The key to personal and entrepreneurial growth is maintaining your success over an extended period of time. There are three qualities that differentiate people who have achieved long term success from others. These qualities are: sustained passion; consistent effort; and ongoing education. These three qualities are linked to each other and need to become a matter of habit.
An old proverb says, “take care of the days, and the years take care of themselves”. Taking care of our days involves paying attention to details in everything we do with dedication and focus. This is difficult to do because we tend to perceive excellence as an unattainable or exceptional notion. However, when we simplify and organize a complex task into manageable parts we perceive them as easily doable ones. This section lists the eight powers that will place you on solid ground as a martial arts business leader. By implementing the eight powers slowly, one by one, the principle of taking meticulous care of days will become a valued habit of yours.
1. The Power of Choice
Quite possibly your greatest power lies in your ability to remember that even a difficult situation presents you with a number of choices. Each day we make several choices with regard to our eating, personal style, leisure and entertainment. However, many forget to use their most powerful application of choice which is the power to choose their response to any given set of circumstances. In other words, if you don’t like the way things are going change how you deal with your circumstances. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, assuming that the notion of random choice will apply itself bringing different results at some point
You can put this power to work by simply being aware of the number of options you have available to you at any given time.
If A is the power of choice,
A= b + c
Where
b is mindfulness of the infinite options
c is the wisdom to choose the right option
Remember, every choice you make affects the direction your life takes. Choose wisely
2. The Power of Positive Responses
Once we understand the first power we can put to work the second, which is the power of positive responses. The power of positive responses refers to the ability to be proactive and solution oriented. Remember, we can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond. Responding in a positive, proactive manner does not guarantee success in every case, but it dramatically increases our chances of success because we are concentrating on solutions.
A specific aspect of a three part greeting that we use before the beginning of each class in Kenpo is known as “Kai-u-shu”. This is a sign of optimism which exhorts the practitioners of Kenpo to follow the principle “I will look for the good in all people and all circumstances. “Kai-u -shu”, is indicated by the triangle sign that is formed by the forefinger and the thumb of each hand touching each other with hands outstretched in the front at the chest level. This sign when performed with total awareness empowers you to look for the best in others in responses to situations.
Put the second power to work next time you’re faced with a challenge. Make a conscious decision to respond in a positive fashion. Then watch what happens.
3. The Power of Rituals
If you were to analyze your day, beginning with the very moment you rose until the moment you retire for the night, you would begin to notice that a good part of your day is made up of rituals- some that are empowering, and some that aren’t.
Rituals provide us with consistency and provide us with the momentum to carry our day with ease. Most people fail to realize the power of rituals, and that their daily rituals go a long way in either aiding their successes or hindering. Let’s look at this point a little further by discussing two possible rituals for starting the day and their potential long-term effects.
Morning ritual
Case #1
Jim stayed up a little later last night watching TV. He overslept the next morning. He realized he is going to be late to his work if he doesn’t hurry. That was his first thought that morning. It wasn’t an empowering thought. Inadvertently he had started his day with tension which is energy draining; as opposed to peaceful reflection which is energy giving.
Having started his day with the pressure of getting to work on time all of Jim’s actions are touched by the tension of this added pressure. He frantically gets dressed and resents the fact that he couldn’t watch the morning news in peace. He rushes out the door, jumps into his car and races to work. He curses the slow moving traffic and yells at the inconsiderate drivers. Half way through he realizes that he missed breakfast. In order to satisfy his hunger and soothe his stress, he stops by a drive- through breakfast place on his way and grabs two cream fill doughnuts and a large coffee with double cream and sugar. He eats as he drives without chewing his food adequately, and barely evades running through a stop light. He makes it to his work place just in time. He dashes to his cubicle without really acknowledging the few colleagues who greeted him on his way. He plops into his chair, lets a sigh of relief and it takes him ten minutes to calm down and gather his energy. What he may not realize is that all that tension, bad food and the stressful riving had possible affected his physical and emotional health in innumerable ways-not to speak of his productivity that day which in turn may have an effect on this work in subsequent days.
Morning ritual
Case #2
Understanding the value of a good night’s sleep, John went to bed at his usual time and woke up early. He took a brisk twenty minute walk around his neighborhood. He watched the birds, took in fresh air, enjoyed the sight of morning bloom and greeted neighbors walking their dogs. He had time to take a relaxing shower. He got dressed listening to music that he enjoyed. He spent a few minutes of quiet contemplation followed by a healthy breakfast. He ate reading his favorite inspirational or educational literature. He gets into his car after making sure he has everything he needs to take to his work. He lets hurrying drivers pass. He listens to soothing music while driving. He is at work on time a few minutes early to plan and prioritize what needs to be done that day. He pours himself a cup of herb tea, greets his fellow workers and starts his work with concentration and focus.
Let’s assume that these scenarios are repeated by Jim and John over a period of two years each sticking to his respective routine. Whose shoes would you like to be in at the end of two years? Whom do you think is going to have a successful life in the long term?
Begin to put the third power to work. Look at your day from the beginning to end. Analyze all of your daily rituals. Next, decide which ones are worth keeping and which ones you should change. Remember, set yourself up for success by not demanding two much of yourself too soon. Resort to “peaceful evolution versus bloody revolution”. Take it one ritual at a time.
4. The Power of Resilience
“To fall seven times and raise eight, life starts from here”
Adversity is a companion of every human being. It comes in many forms including failures. People who live successful lives experience more than their fair share of failures. The attribute that differentiates them from others is their capacity to have just learned to bounce back from their failures. Some people seem to have a genetic disposition for resiliency while others seem to become quickly beaten down by life. Irrespective of where you are in terms of your capacity to recover from negative experiences, with a conscious effort you can improve your ability to be resilient.
To begin with, you can put the fourth power to work by looking back on your most trying times. Analyze how you responded to those times and how you benefited from them. With few exceptions, most of us can look back on the single most difficult time in our life and come up with a long list of benefits from having had that experience. This is a good way to remember your capacity to meet challenges and learn from them. This can help you in dealing with existing challenges with patience, sharp insight and wisdom.
5. The Power of Self-Control
Who is a mighty person?
One who has control over their emotions, and can make friends of their enemies.
Demonstrating self-control is perhaps the greatest indicator of an emotionally mature person. It is important to know that, although we can’t always control our thoughts, we can always control our actions. Due to lack of self-control, now and then we fall into the abyss of uttering things that we later regretted.
One of the first steps to developing self-control is to understand that logic and emotion don’t mix. They’re like oil and water. When we become emotional we lose our ability to think logically.
You can put the fifth power to work by practicing several different strategies. Firstly, the next time you feel a wave of negative emotion come over you, try to objectify it. Secondly, ask yourself the question: Is the emotion I’m experiencing right now the appropriate emotion to get me through this situation in the best way possible?
The act of being aware of your emotion will help you to harness your other strengths thus helping you make progress toward maintaining your self-control. Another strategy is to simply remain silent, not speaking until you have regained your composure. One of the easiest strategies to put into place that will help you practice self-control is to simply change your breathing. When angry or afraid, people tend to breathe shallow, hunch their shoulders forward and wear a disempowering facial expression. Just the act of taking deep breaths, pulling your shoulders back, and changing your facial expression alone can increase your self-control dramatically.
6. The Power of Non Judgment
Everyone of us, from time to time, jumps to a conclusion about somebody or something that proves to be untrue. Many people spend their whole life passing judgment on those around them. It is one thing to perceive and yet an entirely different thing to judge. Judgmental statements such as “she’s good”; “he’s bad”; “that child should pay attention”. “they should fix that”etc., are counter productive. The next time you’re driving down the street and you see some poorly dressed man carrying a bottle in a brown paper bag, instead of thinking “man, what a loser” send him a blessing. Passing judgment on those around you is an extreme waste of your time and energy; it serves no valuable purpose.
Also be aware that comparing yourself to others, or comparing one person with another, is a type of judgmental behavior. It is always better to compare yourself with your own potential than that of others. Whenever you compare yourself to others you lose sight of your real self.
You can put the sixth power to work by simply making a conscious effort to quit judging and comparing. Becoming aware is half the battle of overcoming the need to judge and compare.
7. The Power of Health
If you don’t take care of your body, your body will take care of you.
Years ago Geritol’s add campaign slogan was “when you’ve got your health, you’ve got just about everything”. It is at times of ill health we remember most the wonderful feeling of having good health. It is important to remember that health is a “do it to yourself” thing. We can’t expect to continue to perform optimally without first taking care of our health. Positive health consciousness involves the understanding of the three pieces of the health puzzle: exercise, rest, and nutrition. Practicing two out of three won’t work. You need to embrace all three pieces of the puzzle for your long-term health.
You can put the seventh power to work by reviewing your current health habits. Do you have a regular exercise regimen? Do you sleep enough at night and lace your day with frequent brief rests? Do you feed your body, through proper diet, the nutrients it needs to sustain itself at a high level? Make adjustments where necessary. Remember even minor adjustments can have a major positive impact on your overall health.
8. The Power of Gratitude
The power of gratitude should never be overlooked. For most of us, 97% of our life is going great. The challenge is that we often spend our time concentrating on the 3% of our life that is giving us problems. It is certainly important to face your problem areas head on. While doing so, however, be mindful of all the wonderful things that we have going well for us. You can put the eighth power to work by making a conscious effort to appreciate the opportunities for emotional sustenance, work, health, enjoyment and advancement.
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About Dave Kovar
Mr. Kovar has been teaching Martial Arts professionally since 1978. Dave is a multi-style Black Belt who has been committed to ever-improving his Martial Arts skills. He updates this blog to provide tips and insights to martial arts instructors around the country. To learn more, click here.
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October 13th, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
hi dave,
i especially enjoyed the post about “jim” and “john” and their before work routine. i see the value of getting up an hour and half early to have the time to exercise, eat a healthy relaxed breakfast and not to be rushed to work. i like it 
great blog
ps. every now and then i do the “circle of joy” but it’s a tough routine
nos vemos! (see ya)