Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do.
You may have heard the saying “Tough times never last but tough people do." If we’ve learned anything over the past 18 months, it has to be the resiliency of people and the pursuit of progress.
Some lessons may be harder to see but I’m sure if we look through the murky waters of time there will be some important lessons to be learned. Here are some things that I know have come to light for myself and perhaps it may be part of your new mantra now too.
Friends. A sense of community and lifelong friendships can make tough times a lot more manageable when faced with adversity. We were lucky at First Choice Martial Arts because we've tried so hard to create a sense of community and really connect with students on a one-to-one basis. If you ask any instructor, they will have an endless array of meaningful stories and experiences with our wonderful students. Seeing those friendly faces on a weekly basis makes teaching all the better and gives us a sense of purpose when instructing classes. For us, we were very fortunate to have this opportunity and continue to have this opportunity to make tough times a little more manageable.
What really matters in life? I’m sure a lot of you have had a chance to sit back and really understand deeper what is important to you and your family. With the hustle and bustle of life sometimes being able to slow down a bit and seeing what is in front of us makes stress seem a little less stressful. Having some extra time over the past many months was helpful for us as instructors as we identified what was important. Going forward this new focus can only make things better in my opinion.
Being grateful. Going through tough times can make us thankful for the simplest things in life and surviving a tough experience can give you a better insight into what you are grateful for. The nice thing about this is it can create a personality shift and allow one to receive gratitude in return. Martial Arts it’s all about respect and we try to get this message across constantly at FCMA. When you see a small child respond in a respectful way it gives hope and inspiration to us as teachers as we see our messages start to sink in. If we've learned anything at First Choice Martial Arts over the past many months, it is we are grateful to have such great students!
Although the list is not complete, we are excited about what the future holds for our fantastic members at karate. Who knows where we will be in a month, 6 months or a year is yet to be seen, But, one thing that is clear is we are on this journey together and we are grateful to have you by our side.
Stay Strong!
Sensei Chris