Hi. I am honored that you decided to stop by and visit with me. Your presence is an important part of my day. I want to share several lessons that I have learned and used throughout my lifetime. These lessons have helped me to succeed, when giving up would have been much easier. Success is defined by how many times I get up, when I fall down. Falling down is part of a healthy process. Falling down keeps me humble, not humiliated. I seem to learn best when I scrape my knees on the road of life. Repetition is the mother of all learning. When I compare myself with / to anyone I am chasing after the wind. When I stay committed to the process, I win.
Several months ago one of my readers asked me how I taught myself how to walk, talk, read, write and speak in complete sentences after the car accident in 1967 (Please read my post, My Journey thus Far). Because I do not remember much from that period of time in my life, I asked my Mom. She could not remember specifics other than I did not give up. My will to succeed drove me forward in the face of set backs, pain and discouragement.
Several years ago, I underwent a series of tests. Following the completion of those tests, the neuro psychologist documented that I was functioning far above my capabilities. He stated, “Mr. Phillips has somehow been able to obtain his undergraduate and graduate degrees and then went on to say that I was able to succeed beyond all reasonable expectations through sheer persistence and motivation.
I have learned that tenacity and persistence provide a way, where no way seems to exist. Craig J. Phillips
My training in the martial arts has taught me valuable life-changing lessons. One of these lessons has taught me that the destination is only the sum of what I learned through the journey. The significance is not in the destination, but in the process. I have learned that if I focus on the destination, I will miss out on the lesson. The lesson is what changes my life, not the destination. My ability to effectively execute punches, kicks, knees and elbows is more important than the color of the belt that I wear. If I do not execute my punches, kicks, knees and elbows efficiently, I will not be able to combine them when I spar. Another lesson that I have learned involves practice. In order to excel, I must drill, drill, drill and then drill some more and then drill again. Drilling is the only way that I am going to develop the necessary muscle memory that is essential to being an effective martial artist.
I do not share the above to draw attention to me. My motivation is to encourage you to not give up. You may be faced with circumstances that seem to be holding you down. You may be discouraged and disheartened because you have lost hope. You may not believe in yourself or you may be thinking about giving up. Well my friend, let me give you some good news. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step and you can take that first step. If you fall down, don’t be discouraged. Falling down is normal. Get back up, dust yourself off and keep walking.
Your process and your faith will take you places that you never dreamed possible.
If you feel overwhelmed by the size of your circumstances consider this metaphor. How do you eat and elephant? The answer is one bite at a time. And remember you do not have to eat the entire elephant at one sitting. With time, the elephant will be reduced to bones and you will be empowered through your experience. When I talk with people who are discouraged, I remind them to keep walking. Progress happens every time we take another step. I encourage them to keep moving and before long they will be able to look back and see how far they have come.
People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success, because they don’t know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to- George E. Allen
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