Gratitude

 I have found myself struggling a bit this past week or so. Once again, the mental aspect of training and more precisely, how my training is impacted by pain, injuries, self-doubt and the frustration that comes with all of that can be limiting.  Even detrimental.  It can develop a feedback loop which can keep building on itself if unchecked.  Frustration can give way to depression, anxiety and more self doubt.  Which in turn creates more stress, resentment and more frustration.  Which in turn creates more depression, anxiety and self doubt. Which in turn....I think you get it.

How do you break that loop? 

I'm sure everyone has their own methods that work for them.  I've tried several different techniques.  But something that Sifu Brinker brought up some time ago and several times since, is practicing gratitude.  The daily (or even more frequent) affirmation of things in your life that you are grateful for.  Some things may not even play a significant role in your life, but being truly thankful for even the small things like a rainbow, a cloud shaped like a T-rex or even that really, really old but really cute dog down the street that totally takes her time when going for walks its almost comical.  Practicing gratitude for everything you have as opposed to becoming bitter for everything you don't have.  This is something that I have done in the past but never really understood it.  It was more of an unconscious action or practice.

Now I'm not gonna peddle snake oil here, this is NOT a mystical fix-all solution.  This doesn't magically make the frustration and stress go away, but it helps temper them.  It gives you the opportunity to see that your glass is still half full or even a quarter full, but what you do with that perspective is still up to you and you still need to take action.

This is where I am at this week...Being grateful, re-evaluating and taking action.  The action is slow and calculated but it is action none-the-less.

Thanks for reading

Mike