“Karate is an integral part of my life and contributes meaning to my life.”

“Karate is an integral part of my life and contributes meaning to my life.” – Shinjō Kiyohide 9th dan Uechi Ryu (rank updated to 10th dan November 3rd)
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Have you ever fallen in love with a thing? Not a person or a place, but a thing? Well maybe not a thing but an activity; otherwise known as a hobby, outlet, creative endeavor, or passion?
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Passions and hobbies provide people with an outlet for escape, personal expression and exploration, distraction, meditation, and catharsis. It can change the way you view yourself, your loved ones, and the world around you. It can boost emotional wellbeing and, depending on the hobby, physical health.
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‘Anhedonia’, otherwise described as ‘Meh’ or ‘I’m just not that into it’, is the loss of interest in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities.
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How many activities that brought you joy have you given up over the course of your life?
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Do you find yourself wondering what things would be like if you’d continued on with your martial arts class, but think that it’s ‘too late to start again’, or that ‘you’re too busy’?
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The truth is that pursuing our hobbies and passions can play a powerful role in improving our overall performance in various aspects of our lives – for example our workplace performance, our mental wellbeing and our physical health.
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You let it go. And one day, you look back on it and wistfully express that it was a shame you didn’t continue with it, you gave up… but you remain too haunted by the ghost of your past self to pick it up again.
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Reconnect with your passion. Get over the ‘Meh’.
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Get back to basics. Try and remember what it was that you loved about your passion in the first place. Become obsessed. Make ‘karate’ yours, live it, breathe it, find the beauty in it, go to sleep thinking about it. Don’t let your busy life get in the way, set aside time and stick to it.
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If you feel like giving up because it’s too hard, this is when you will have your break through if you keep trying.
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If you feel like giving up because you think it’s not relevant to your current life. Years from now you will wish you had pursued expertise in those passions, or opportunities you once had at your fingertips. Everything is useful, but it may take years to realize that, or to be in the situation where it becomes useful.
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Every person who wants to learn that skill but doesn’t have it, will admire you. You can teach people what you do have. A little means a lot and you should give what you’ve got. People of all abilities and personalities want to learn and we need people of all personalities and level of skill to teach them.
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Whatever you have a passion for, pursue it. There is a reason it is in you. 👊🥋
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📷 Photo Credit: Travel67 Chris Wilson Photography
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