Power, Potential & Purpose

You cannot always control what happens. Moments only last so long until they roll into the next. This is good news if the current moment is a difficult one, but bad news if the current moment is the best one ever. No one wants their best moments to slip away not knowing what will happen next. I guess that is why we have to average out the good and the bad, so we land somewhere in between.

So, where exactly is this "in-between" place and is it truly the best place to be? That is a trick question in some regards because a lot depends on your choices and your mindset. Even though you cannot always control what happens, you do have options.

How should you cultivate the right mindset to live your life fully through all the different moments, good and bad?

The first step is thankfulness. Be thankful for who you are, what you have, your friends and your family. Thankfulness is a tool for positivity, although we rarely recognize that. It allows us to find joy in our moments and connects to our purpose.

Next, appreciate your talents and gifts. You are born with them for a purpose. Use them to improve yourself, others, and the world around you.

Extinguish your fears. I am sure that at different times of your life you have done exactly as I have and squashed your dreams and desires because of lack of confidence or fear. What did you give up because someone criticized you? What did you push aside because you stopped believing? What did you decide to never do because you did not think you were good enough?

Do not allow your negative thoughts to control your life.

Take control. Martial arts helped me take control of my life. I actually surprised myself when I was a martial art student because I recognized that I had untapped power and potential. I thought I was one type of person, but martial arts taught me I was someone completely different. I did not think of myself as confident, athletic, or exceptional. But, martial arts taught me I was strong, powerful and full of potential. 

Without my martial art training I would probably still be pushing my dreams aside. But, when my potential and power rose to the surface, there was no longer anything to fear and I accepted that my dreams were put in my heart for a reason.

I always had a strong desire to help people feel more positive about themselves and their lives. Martial arts gave me a voice and I then created several platforms for martial art women through books, my blog and podcast (see links below). Today, I seek to inspire women and martial artists all over the world. The power of my voice was born from my martial art practice and evolves every single day in one way or another. I can honestly say that I truly make a difference and that is the most profound purpose anyone can ever have.

What if martial arts are not your thing? That's okay, too. What isn't okay is not finding your true voice or your purpose. Don't let time slip by struggling with whether you should move forward. Make a decision and take the first step toward whatever you have pushed aside for so long. Power, potential and purpose rise to the surface when you allow yourself to follow your dreams and ambitions and you will never look back again.

It is true. There is no way to control the world around you. But you can control your contributions and your reactions. You can choose to use the unique and spirited gifts and talents that only you have. You can step out from that which holds you back. Identify the challenges and barriers that hinder you, face them head on, then take one step forward. That one step creates the momentum to be the real you.

One day several years ago, I was sitting at the airport with my boss. His brief case was on the seat next to me and on top of it was a paper, a survey of his satisfaction with his job on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. He had 3's across the board. I sat in shock for a minute, recognizing that he had power, prestige, and money, yet he felt only mediocre about his career. At that moment, I realized that most of us are not happy about who we are or what we do until we pursue our true purpose. That purpose may be outside your career, your family life, or your comfort zone. This is all the more reason to make sure you grasp it with all your strength.

You cannot control many things, that is for sure. Moments come and go in the scheme of things. However, you have the choice right now to decide to live with power, potential and purpose. Reassess what is truly important to you. Know that your purpose is as important as any other and should not be ignored.

This moment is the best moment ever to believe in yourself. If you are going to rate the importance of your purpose, I hope you recognize that it is worth a lot more than a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5.

Andrea

Books:

The Martial Arts Woman book: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman.../dp/1544916213

Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations.../dp/150297830X

Website, Podcast & Social Media:

"The Martial Arts Woman"

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrea-harkins

https://www.facebook.com/themartialartswomanpodcast/

Blog/Podcast: www.themartialartswoman.com