Today was a first for me. I took a self-defense class for women, specifically. A 6-hour class. With an instructor who doesn’t believe in breaks (just kidding, Brian, if you’re reading this. Love you ❤ )
It was hard work. It was intense. It was like drinking from a fire hose. It was exhausting. But it was informative, productive, important and extremely vital. Brian, his colleague Kenny, and Brian’s wife Jessica, did a great job of showing us the intensities and details in the techniques of avoiding and getting out of tough situations that we, as women, may, and most probably will, find ourselves in at some point in our lives.
SOOO much was said, but one phrase Brian used, a martial arts training lesson, during one of his demonstrations on how to get out from under an attacker, really stuck out to me and resonated with something I’ve always struggled with. The saying is, “As the head goes, so goes the body.” In other words, if you twist and force your assailant’s head around backwards, his body is going to follow. It’s as simple as that. So, get to twisting and forcing if they’re holding you down.
But let me explain. [….pause….] No, there is too much. Let me sum up. (Any Princess Bride fans?]
All my life, my mind has determined my direction…both good and bad. And if you are honest, you’d say the same thing. Because that’s exactly how it always happens. With everyone. Our bodies don’t do things that our minds don’t tell it to do. And rarely does our mind tell our bodies to do something that it refuses to do. They are directly connected.
So many times, I’ve had goals to do this or that, accomplish this or that, finish this or that…but I never did. Part of my failure was because I didn’t see myself as completing that goal. I talked myself into believing that it would never happen. We all do it. We ALL do it. We all DO it. Our success and/or failure is directly connected to what we allow our minds to think. But the truth is, if we are going to do anything, we have to do it in our mind…our head…first.
– If you want to start a new endeavor, then you have to start it in your mind first.
– If you want to lose 50 pounds, lose it in your mind first.
– If you want to change a sucky situation, change it in your mind first.
– If you want to go back to school and get a Master’s degree, graduate in your mind first.
……then….work your booty off until the rest of you catches up to your mind.
This isn’t necessarily the “power of positive thinking”…it’s about beginning with the end in mind. It isn’t necessarily about “visualization”…it’s about making the decision to do something great and anchoring it in your mind…in your thoughts. That way, when times get tough (and they will)…and people say you can’t do it (and they will)…and you feel like giving up (and you will)…you will have already decided to push past all of that to reach your goals.
Our minds are so very incredibly, amazingly, mind-blowingly powerful. All the success and joy and finalization starts in your head. But remember this: all the failure and heartache and giving up ALSO starts in your head. You and I have to decide what the outcome is going to be. We can’t create these amazing goals and successes and wins..and then “imagine” and “think about” all the failure and loss. Because “as the head goes, so goes the body.” And if something is twisting and forcing your head backwards, your body is going to follow…your actions are going to follow…your results, or lack thereof, are going to follow. Decide ahead of time where you want to go, and then get there. You can do it!
And then …don’t ever give up (another lesson from today.) Don’t. Ever. Give. Up.
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“…be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think.” (Romans 12:2 TLB)
“…take captive every thought and make it obedient…” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV)
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” {Philippians 4:8 NIV) …my favorite Bible verse….
Think about it……
the girl ramsey 