Positivity

pos·i·tiv·i·ty

ˌpäzəˈtivədē/

noun

noun: positivity the practice of being or tendency to be positive or optimistic in attitude.

"pupils draw power from the positivity of their teachers"

I will always hold to the belief that I am one of the luckiest people on the planet.

Not because I am immensely wealthy, devastatingly handsome or incredibly intelligent.

Fortune smiles on us all in different ways- I have a job/career I truly enjoy, a lovely wife,

a strong and intelligent son to carry on my name and some very good friends.

My family has been blessed in many ways- with good health, a comfortable lifestyle and a nice home filled with laughter/life. All of these things make me a fortunate man.

I have led a rather interesting life-the ups, downs, highs and lows have provided me

with  good perspective. Over time, the high points made me realize how easy it is to fall, the lows reminded me that only hard work and perseverance would elevate me again.

The most worthwhile personal endeavor I ever undertook was martial arts training.

One of the reasons I consider myself among  the luckiest people on the planet was

the opportunity to train as a personal student of Taika Seiyu Oyata.

Some of his best lessons weren't about martial arts, they were about life.

If I learned anything from him, it was never give up, never stop trying, never stop learning.

He was forever thinking about his martial arts, changing things, showing us new concepts or the evolution of a previous concept-it was maddening at times-frustrating. He forced you to step up, to keep up or you would quickly fall behind. (as in life)

When I was struggling to learn something, he would say"you can do this, I learned this,
you can learn this" or my personal favorite"Do it-no choice". Who could argue with that logic? 

I admired my teacher for many different reasons. One was his ability to make fun of all of us, collectively and also individually, one at a time-you never knew when it was your turn.

It was very, very funny once you got used to it. There was no malice-it was all in good fun/humor, nobody was safe and nothing was off limits. He made fun of everything and everybody-I know this was a quality that was a never ending source of amusement to me and probably bound me to my teacher the most.

 My teacher was very serious about who he trained as a student. There was an expectation
that you would show up on time, give 100%  in class and then practice what he was showing you.
There was also an expectation that you would follow his moral code-you were a representative

of his name, his family art-don't do anything that would take anything away from his reputation.

This kept me on the straight and narrow path-I never wanted to be that guy-the one that badly embarrassed his teacher.

The most important lessons I learned from my teacher were right before my son was born.

He took me aside and said I always needed to be a positive role model for my son, that little eyes and ears were always watching and listening to everything you did, everything you said.

I was grateful then for this guidance, I still am.

He then went on to say"Most important lesson in life-man's words and actions must match,

easy to talk big, hardest thing is to do what you say will do-this man's character"

I have never forgotten his words. Of all the lessons I learned and tests I took in front of my teacher,this was the lifelong test, the most important test I am determined to pass.

A  man could go  his whole life and never get this type of advice.

This is just one example that reflects the mentoring role of my teacher, sharing his positive outlook, his wisdom/life experience.Was this his greatest lesson/test for me? I think so.

The lesson for today is: Positivity

Negativity is everywhere-don't accept it, don't buy into it.You have to question the motives and wisdom of people who are constantly talking bad about other people, whether it's martial arts or life in general-everyone has their own agenda. Just remember-it's only their opinion! 

I choose to keep things in my life positive and to associate with like minded people.
It seems to be working very well for me.

 Peace!