I want you think that there is a mobile phone app called the ‘My Mind Thermostat’ and, like the smart home apps, you can set and adjust your thermostat app to different degrees or levels of confidence. Most people, because of life’s challenges, set their thermostat app to a comfort zone and seem to be happy with that. However, like the different seasons in nature we all have different mental, emotional and physical seasons throughout life and we must, as martial artists, always adjust our thermostat with our thoughts, beliefs, and positive attitudes and get out of the comfort zone and into the success zones of mentality.
Confidence is polished through information and ability. It is truly a strong belief as a result of a lifetime of trials, tribulations, challenges, achievements and victories. It is developed by accomplishing something today that you did not know you could do in the past. Students at the Port Credit Academy of Martial Arts, are presented with, and embrace, challenges on a daily basis. This is a necessary part of training so things that could not be done before are normal in the future. This is why traditional martial artists are known to have massive amounts of self-confidence. This is not to be mistaken for egotism. A confident Martial Artist is a modest and unassuming person who will, like us all, have doubts and mistakes, but will, because of their training, continue to stand by their beliefs and attitude.
As you can imagine, confidence does not come effortlessly however; it can only be developed if you are willing to “look into your mirror” and “face and embrace” your fears and constantly adjust your mental thermostat. For the most part, people, when faced with a challenge will look for a way out instead of a way through, under, over or around. This is what makes confidence such an uncommon quality. Everyone is dealt obstacles as we journey through life but the difference between a confident individual and one who isn’t is not in what happens, but what they decide to do about it.
