The road isn't straight! - Michele Normand

Life is not perfect, life will have challenges and we will have to change directions constantly.  Our so we thought straight road to where ever it is we are traveling seemed straight at the time we jumped in our car and headed out.  But like every road we will at some point encounter roadblocks, unforseen traffic jams, hairpin curves, a flat tire, steep mountains, potholes, construction, accidents, and possibly road closures.  If we experience one of those circumstances (and we all will) how we handle those situations will either get us to our destination or not.  Do we give up and go home?  Do we wait patiently for the road to clear? Do we flag down help? Do we speed up?  Do we slow down? Do we sit in our car and cry or yell and do nothing at all? Do we reevaluate and take another route? 

Picture your martial arts road from belt to belt, seems straight right?  Go to class, learn the curriculum, have a positive attitude, practice outside of class, be respectful inside and outside of class.  Your driving along that straight road of belts and then BAMB!  Life happens, injuries happen, work happens, kids happen, school happens, family happens, yard work happens, housework happens, vacations happen, illness happens, conflict happens.  We will all experience one or many of these changes in our road. With perseverance "a continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition" we can get to where we want to go.  Beep, Beep, Vroom, Vroom!

 Michele Normand
1st degree Black belt candidate

Comments

  1. Lia London, authorSeptember 2, 2019 at 8:14 AM

    Oh my gosh, I love the questions you ask at the end of the first paragraph. The analogy totally works!

    ReplyDelete
  2. SBN SamanthaSeptember 3, 2019 at 5:18 PM

    Sometimes, I sit in my car and cry...ha ha. Then I feel better and move on. :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog #14 - 30 Day Ab Challenge: A Matter of Grit - SBN Samantha

A couple months ago, we were asked to complete the 30 Day Ab Challenge by KJN Jeremy.  I started off strong, but puttered out during the final 10 days, and all the progress I made on a stronger core just kind of went out the window.  So, I'm starting again, today.  The reason I'm writing about this has to do with self-discipline and fitness; it's a constant battle.  I have this tendency to start something with fervor and zeal, and then lose my motivation somewhere along the way.  While reading Grit, I've discovered that I don't think I have that much Grit...at least not when it comes to working out. 😂  I'm just not that passionate about exercise, and I think that's why martial arts became such an important part of my life.  I am passionate about learning and developing myself, and that's what martial arts is to me; it just happens to improve fitness as well! Thinking about the 30 Day Ab Challenge with this in mind, I have decided to focus on the w...
Read more

Minor, Ami - The Interview

A couple weeks ago I received an email from the reporter of our local newspaper asking if they could do a feature on me. This caught me by surprise because a lot of the work I do is in the background/behind the scenes and not many people notice or know about what I do. Or at least I don't think they do... I don't work for the recognition, or to be commended, or for the money really, I work for the experience and the sheer fact that I enjoy what I do. My work is not your everyday Joe's work, but quite the opposite, my job consists of improvising, adapting and overcoming. I make whatever I have work, and show the clients that though I am a student, I am just as capable of getting the job done as any other person.  When it came to the actual interview, I was beyond nervous and unsure, but lucky me, the reporter was the nicest person ever and made it feel like a normal conversation not an interview. I can't wait to see the article and how it turned out.  - Ami Minor 201...
Read more

Never Forget - Michele Normand

The other day I went on Facebook.  As you may know Facebook will often show pictures of your memories from years past.  The memory that showed up was a picture from the last night of the closing of our previous studio. In the picture we were all sweaty from our last ever workout together.  I remember the tears, the hugs goodbye, and not wanting to leave so the doors couldn't be closed. We couldn't stop what was going to happen though many of us would have done anything to keep what we had come to know and love for years alive.  I remember standing outside when the the lights were turned out and the doors were locked never to open again.  I felt so lost.  I had spent 12 years with this family, my son grew up in that studio, there were so many happy times, great friends, amazing instructors and just like that...GONE.  For me the first year after the closer life was so empty, we lost our home.  Master McWilliams was so amazing, he committed to put to...
Read more