Meng (Youthful folly)

To know success, you must make peace with the idea of failing.

When one learns the martial art of Judo, the first thing the teacher instructs the student in is Ukemi or the art of receiving the body or more practically the art of falling safely.   The student learns first how to fail before they learn how to succeed.  They learn how to fall safely so they may get up and attack another time.  They learn to fail as preparation to succeed.  If the student falls incorrectly and injures himself, how will he return to the fight and be successful?

The message today is about learning how to fail with grace in preparation for the success to come.  We all know that it is not how many times you get knocked down that matters, but how many times you get up.  

Meng tells us it is time to go back and try again.  In life we all face times where we receive criticism or negative feedback and it might hurt our ego, but if we desire to become better we must choose to be open to the input.  Someone may say "This isn't good."  We must be open to hearing this with determination to try again and become better.  

Too many times when life blocks our way, we choose to give up instead of finding a  different path to success.

When we see failure as a stepping stone to success, we will always succeed.  Failure becomes a turning point that leads us to retreat, regroup and try again.

It is time to fail, fail spectacularly and with grace knowing that it is not the fall, but the getting back up that counts most in life.

The Changing Lines

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The situation at hand needs much more that just imitating the techniques taught by a teacher.  It is time to own what has been taught and make it your own.  Do not rely on another's opinion or beliefs without exercising your own unique perspective.  Reach inside and follow what your heart is telling you and do not rely on another's wisdom for your answers. 

Thank you for reading today's message and I hope that it  has brought you what you needed today to continue your walk in life!