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This is some of our students hard at work.

Do You Want To Know How Martial Arts Helped Me on my Biz Trip

I got to tell you how my martial arts training worked in my recent Biz trip to Denver.

I go to this great looking hotel... The Boston Commons and I would say that on the outside it looks wonderful.

The challenges started with a note on the door.. It said they were closed and they key to my room was in this little security vault.. See the picture included.

Now I thought to myself well okay this is not so hard.

But then I looked at the little tiny map they gave me but MY ROOM WAS NOT ON THE MAP. :(

So I was thinking what should I do.... Well I decided to call them and get some advice but alas nobody picked up the phone.

Now I didn't mention the fact that it was 10 o'clock at night and I had flown and traveled by car all day, even getting lost.

I thought wow I want so much to get to my room and just crash....

But here I was stuck.... So rather than panic I did the opposite. I just put the map and paperwork done and sat back and relaxed totally and when I did I noticed a small handwritten note on the top of the map that decribed how to use the map.

Now I new how to find my building I went there and guess what the key they gave me didn't work in the door.... And the offfice was...........closed.

This was AFTER dragging my bag up 3 flights of stairs because there was no elevator.

Now I could have panicked, got angry, lost my head.... I could have dragged my luggage down the 3 flights and went to another hotel....

But instead I decided to wait...and have some patience. When I called them again they did answer the phone. But it was the answering service.

Now the answering service could not find anyone to help me. So I sat out int he Denver, Colorado cold for about 1 hour waiting for them. During this time again I could have got mad, angry left but instead I thought about WHAT WAS WORKING FOR ME.

It wasn't snowing, the weather was chilly but not too bad.
I was healthy enough just sit there and relax.
I had come to this wonderful biz conference where others did not.
I came on a Thursday and Friday when most people are working all day.

So much going for me....

Here I was with a lot of time.... so I used this time to sit and call my mom and talk with her for a while and it was nice because it was unrushed and very quiet (normally I lead a very busy life) and then I called my girl friend and talked with her for a while and that was also nice.

And you know what, they did come and they did let me in and in hind sight I felt great that I handled that situation well.


Point 1. When challenges hit you I think it is best not to follow the common wisdom of "don't just sit there do something" but instead just sit there and calmly formulate options. Panicking in my case would have only made it worse and I would have missed the "handwriting on the wall".

Point 2. When facing challenges that are beyond your control.... focus on what is working. There is always so much more going for you than the few challenges you encounter.

Point 3. Finally always remember to enjoy every day like it was your last. Don't waste your life away with anger and frustration and stress just be happy to have what you have.

That is what martial arts is all about.

John
Elite Self-Defense

Study with us and you will live your life better....
510-220-1756

What is the Ultimate Goal In Life

The Ultimate Goal in life can be summarized as achieving internal happiness. Whatever you want in life, a new sailboat, a million dollars, a family, a mansion.... Whatever it is.... Isn't it really about making yourself feel good inside.

If that's the case and you believe this then let me give you a shortcut. Right now inside you is an unending stream of happiness. You don't need anything to just let it out.

Instead of achieving to be happy...... You need to happily achieve....

Think of something that made you totally drunk with joy and relive that experience now.... It will change your state and give you the happiness you want RIGHT NOW !!!

A simple way to deal with problems

Hi All...

All of us have problems in life.... Some big, some small... But like some famous success coaches have said... The only time you don't have problems is when your dead..

So if you wake up and seem not to have any challenges to deal with.... Well it could be a very bad day for you...

So here is a simple way to work WITH your problems....

1st... Write down the problem or discuss it with someone you trust...
This alone can allow you to concentrate on the solution and not focus on the problem.

2nd... First take one minute and write down some positive things.... What is working in your life. Is it a nice day...do you have a nice girlfriend or wife..... do you have good health... Find something that you can focus on that's positive... and if you search your heart and you really are not able to find something.... then just realize that right now someone is a lot worse off than you... Right now someone is waking up in an alley on a cold cold day with nothing but a blanket or newspapers....

One friend of mine was in a severe auto accident and she is on her way to recovery.... but she is frustrated with the slow recovery process... One day she was so sad about not having a normal life that she started to cry.... I told her.... Look you have a great big toe don't you... To which she looked at me like I was crazy.... And I said yes... You know there are some people in the world with no feet and here you have a perfect big toe....

You know she immediately changed her state and started to laugh...

These are the kind of things that will change your state too.

3... Now work on the solution.... Write down as many things as you can think that might remotely solve the problem... I'm sure that after CLEARING your mind.... That you will find a solution..

One more big tip... Never try to solve your problems in the middle of the night... You will only make it worse.... Just go to sleep and promise to solve it in the morning.

Sensei John

Today An Inspirational Poem

There was an old movie called Back To School With Rodney Dangerfield... It's one of my favorite movies and it has him going back to school with his son.... It's hilarious..

There is one part though where he gets caught cheating and they're going to expel him from school... So the Dean--Dean Martin (not the real Dean Martin but the Dean who's last name is comically Martin) makes him take an oral exam with all his Professors...

Well Mr. Dangerfield decides he can't win so he decides to quit.... He is facing a tough challenge... So his son talks him into staying and studying for the test.... Which again is another comical part of the movie... (His son holding up books to Mr. Dangerfield in the shower.... Mr. Dangerfield in a robe and his son in one of those yellow rain parkas complete with the hat...)

Anyway at the test he is having trouble and his english teacher who likes him has him recite this poem...

DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT

by Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Now you have to watch this part of the movie to see how inspirational this can be...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTv1Dmu5CYc

At the end the teacher goes what does this mean to you... To which Dangerfield says, "It means I don't take #$%^$ from no one.

Can you get inspired by this poem also ?

We have already succeded in life.

This is one of my favorite Tony Robbins stories...

He would say to you, if you are experiencing severe challenges in life....You have already won life....You have nothing to complain about...

To which you might say... WHAT ?

Then he would tell you... Yes...

You already won a long time ago...

You see... One day a long time ago... You got up that morning and put on your best workout suit, your nike shoes and your sun hat.

Then you got out and on the starting line with 10000000 other sperm..

The starting gun went off and you all raced on...

Now you couldn't be the first one to the finish line and you couldn't be last.

You had to be just the right lucky one and BAM ! you fertilized that egg and you were born...

Now what more could you want... You beat out all those other unlucky sperm and you won life...

All those others well....They didn't make it..

So you see you already conquered your greatest challenge... All others should pale in comparison.

So the next time you feel life's stress just change your state by thinking how great it is just to have one life.

John Pfund
Elite Self defense
Karate Judo Jujitsu and More in Livermore, california
web site Elitesd.info