Shaolin Warriors, Prima Ballerinas, and Pretenders

A Shaolin warrior doesn’t pretend to train.  A prima ballerina doesn’t pretend to rehearse.  So why do so many people pretend to be building a life of mastery?

There once was a time when I practiced 1,000 kicks a day. Five different kicks; each one with 100 reps launching off from my right leg, 100 reps launching from the left.

As I was whining confiding to a friend this morning, these days I have difficulty balancing on one foot, thanks to spinal stenosis and completely tearing my adductor muscles off from my pelvic platform while playing softball.  Although I may never do another spinning dropkick, I will always have the mental state that a study of kung fu brings you.

That deep connection between your mind and body. The virtues of living by the principles of Shaolin practice that have been taught for more than 1,500 years. Discipline, strength, loyalty, gratitude, and integrity.  But as any martial artist will attest…

The master reveals the path, but you must walk it yourself.

And that is the task for you…as an elite athlete, savvy entrepreneur, or high-level achiever in any field. Putting in the reps. Doing the work.  Showing up even when you don’t feel like it.  It’s a cliché to talk about the journey over the destination, but that profound truth is evident to anyone who plays on the biggest of stages.

So…three suggestions…

One. Start with gratitude. Not the superficial, Instagram version…but the real kind.  The kind that makes you stop mid-complaint and realize someone else would trade places with you in a heartbeat.

Because right now…

Some people reading this are mourning the loss of a loved one, while others are complaining about the ones they have left.  Some people are dreaming of owning a Lexus, while some Lexus owners are upset that they don't own a Bugatti.  Some people are dreaming about owning a swimming pool one day, while others have one and not used it in three years.

Understand that somewhere, someone would give anything for what we take for granted.  Do you know how many millions of people would be in wonder for the tap water you can drink, the balcony you can sit out on, or the smartphone in your pocket?

Two. Live in gratitude but nurture challenge.  Gandhi once said healthy discontent is the prelude to creating it. This holds true for manifesting prosperity. As I wrote in my upcoming book, unfolding into your greatest good involves a concept called Divine Discontent. Divine Discontent is the ability to live in gratitude for what you have… while refusing to settle for it.  It’s the tension between appreciation and ambition.  And that tension is where your growth lives.

This yearning for more causes you to develop bigger dreams. Those bigger dreams require you to grow more to achieve them. You realize your thinking here won’t get you to the point where you want to go. This causes you to develop new thought processes and create a perpetual cycle of improvement—which is where the breakthroughs live.

Three. Be willing to put in the work. How many jump shots does Steph Curry practice a day? How many pliés, stretches, and dégagés do ballerinas like Dulcie Jonak practice in a week? Thousands.  Not for applause. For mastery.  So let me ask you…

How many reps of ____, do you need to do, to become the highest possible version of yourself?

The older I get, the more I understand that the kicks were never the point.  It was the discipline.  The identity.  The standard you set for yourself when nobody is watching.

That’s what stays with you… long after the body changes.  So wherever you are right now…strong or struggling…building or rebuilding…

The master reveals the path, but he can’t throw the kicks for you.  Shaolin warriors train. Prima ballerinas rehearse. Pretenders talk about what they’re going to do.

Choose mindfully.

Peace,

- RG

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