Dealing with disappointment

The other day, I decided to pull out of a competition for which I had been preparing for the last several months. Once this goal was struck from my life, I found it hard to stay the course of general self-improvement. I then realized that I could take this time to focus on other aspects of my training to become a more complete martial artist. More importantly, I could take the lessons learned from martial arts into other facets of life to become a more well-rounded individual.

How not to deal with disappointment

A similar situation happened to me when I was sixteen years old. Playing guitar was my only outlet, and the only thing I felt I was good at. For years I had been practicing guitar rigorously when one day I had the first stroke in a series of four. These strokes left me debilitated and unable to play guitar with a fraction of the dexterity I once had. My brain knew what to do, but my muscles weren’t receiving the message. My life’s plans had been destroyed, plunging me into a prolonged state of depression.

Turning the corner

Years passed. My lifestyle remained as sedentary as ever with no aspirations to speak of. I lived to enjoy life’s dumb distractions. This continued until my best friend Anthony started his journey of self-improvement by going on the Atkins diet. Seeing Anthony lose weight so quickly and easily encouraged me to start my own journey. After experimenting with various forms of exercise, I eventually started taking martial arts lessons.

Finding meaning outside of martial arts

I attribute martial arts with clearing the fog of apathy that had clouded my mind for so many years. I’ve never cared about something as much as I care about jiu-jitsu. It has taught me to find meaning in interactions (social, environmental, spiritual, etc.) and bodily/mental health. I’ve also learned the importance of honesty, integrity, humility, and discipline. More on the benefits of training martial arts can be found here.

Start your journey today

Easton Training Center is the premiere martial arts academy in Colorado. We offer Muay Thai and BJJ classes to fit anyone’s schedule, taught by top-level coaches who truly care. So what’re you waiting for? Come try a free class now!