Have you ever tried to do something with no help from others? It is not impossible, but it is much more fun and enjoyable to share it with others. As well, if you are surrounded with positive friends, people who want you to succeed, they will encourage and inspire you to heights you never thought possible.

There was a martial arts instructor in a small town. He noticed that one of his students had been missing for the past few weeks. The instructor called the man and the agreed to get together for tea. Being that it was cold out, the man had a fire burning in his fireplace while he and the instructor sat and talked. Finally the instructor asked him, “Where have you been? We are missing you in class.” The man said, “I don’t need to go, I am practicing at home and I don’t people around me to inspire me. I can do it on my own.” The instructor used a set of tongs and pulled a burning, hot ember out of the fire and laid it on the hearth. The two men continued their conversation, but the man got distracted and noticed that the ember changed from burning red, to a dull grey.

Photo: Contributed - (Flickr user, pie_is_good)

We too need to share our energy and inspiration with others. Like the burning ember, it only held the energy to burn when it was with other embers.

It should never be one sided, always taking or always giving. It is a continuous circle of sharing.  When one person gets down their friends will be there to pump them back up. If things are very good, both parties get that opportunity. As a martial arts instructor myself, I take great pleasure in being of service to my students and their families whenever I can. However, it is a double sided sword. There are days when I need them also.

As a Black Belt you understand that many hands make light work. And many people create a lot of energy, to stay inspired to reach your ultimate potential.

Reward your efforts.

When you are writing down your goals, you need to always pencil in a celebration - there needs to be a reward for you. If you are training hard to burn body fat and you reach a goal, celebrate with friends. If you got the contract you having been working weeks or months for, celebrate with friends. With the Black Belt attitude there is no mountain too high for you to climb as long as you take it one step at a time and realize you do not climb the high mountain alone.

Photo: Contributed

Chris Rowe is 4th Degree Black Belt and Chief Instructor of Quest Martial Arts in Kelowna.  Quest Martial Arts focuses on YOU -- your personal goals for fitness, self mastery, self esteem, and the attitude of gratitude towards life in general. Quest offers a variety of Tae Kwon Do class levels to suit you, from beginner to world champions, no matter what your age.