In the age and time that we are in, being a “fighter” can be associated with negativity and violence. If you watch movies, you often see people fighting for obscure or nefarious reasons. In the news, you may read about fighting involved with domestic abuse or public intoxication. Additionally, we hear about people pitting animals against each other for gambling.
Frankly, fighting is another “F-word,” another word for trouble. We are martial artists! It’s different; we are noble. We teach self-discipline, bravery and commitment. There’s another side to fighting that we’re not talking about… fighting to live!
After all, our bodies are biologically programmed to survive. When the pollen count is high, some of may fight to breathe. When flu season is upon us, some of us may be fighting to infection and viruses. If we have cancer, we fight to beat it. So, fighting must be natural.
Beyond that, we fight for equal rights. We fight to overcome poverty. We fight to educate ourselves and our children. These are all good causes, right? Which means fighting is good and noble.
Ultimately, it’s all about the cause. Are you fighting for something that you believe in?
Are you a fighter?
If you are like most people, then yes and no. Maybe you will fight to keep your kids safe but won’t stand up to your boss at work. Or maybe you’ll stand up to your spouse or partner but would never say a word back to a parent.
Our behavior is formed by our relationship, context and habits. If we either always fight or never fight, the we miss the opportunity choose whether to fight or not.
In our martial arts classes, we teach our students to choose their actions so their opponent cannot anticipate what they will do. This means if you always rush in, you’ll likely run into a counter punch. If you always kick, you’ll likely get your leg swatted down.
Don’t get stuck in the rut of predictability. Repeating the same behavior will only get you so far. Your health, happiness, finance, relationships, and everything else are directly impacted by this!! So, if your not 100% happy with everything in your life right now, then it’s time to change something.
Give yourself choices. Analyze your options and if your options are limited, then create options. Be strategic. You want to be strategic. You want to act, not react. Sometimes you fight, sometimes you don’t. The best course of actions is dependent on the moment. Become less predictable and take back your power of choice!
Think about it… if your behavior is controlled by habit when the consequences are inconsequential, what do you do when the consequences are life and death? How do you know if your cause is worth fighting for if you’ve never considered what is worth fighting?