you've got to want it

It breaks my heart to say so, but it isn’t enough for me to want your black belt. You have to want it. And you have to show me you want it. I’ve seen what happens to dojos when they give black belts to people who are just going through the motions–people with no real passion for karate. It never ends well. The prestige of the black belt is weakened, and the reputation of the dojo goes downhill.

I won’t permit that to happen at Tiger Den Dojo. And yes, I DO want all of my students to get a black belt. DESPERATELY. But more than that, I want my students to know that they earned a black belt. I grew up in the Boy Scouts where it was a common joke (with plenty of truth behind it) that many boys earned their Eagle Scout award solely because their mothers did all the heavy lifting. For myself and many others, that was reason enough to dismiss the award and cease striving for it.

Your parents can’t earn you a black belt here. Your wallet can’t earn you a black belt here. Your spouse, friends, siblings, and puppy-dog-eyes can’t earn you a black belt here. No; the only way to get a black belt at Tiger Den Dojo is to EARN a black belt. And you can’t earn it if you don’t want it.

I encourage you to want it.

Set your sights to something high. Something profound, difficult, rare, and meaningful. Be like Babe Ruth and point boldly over the stands, calling your shot. Decide today to strive to earn the black belt. Write it down. Pin it to the wall of your bedroom, or your desk, or wherever you need to see it most.

And every time you’re tempted to skip class, remember the long road ahead of you. Remember that you are capable of doing incredibly hard things. And remember that in order to live up to your immense potential, you’ve got to do the little things. Like showing up. Like having a good attitude. Like seeking to improve the culture of the dojo every time you enter it.

You CAN do it. You just need to decide that you WANT it. You need to decide that you want it bad enough to get through the times where you’re feeling tired, discouraged, and overwhelmed.

Because I can’t want it for you. I can only guide you on your journey once you’ve decided you want it for yourself.