Stop putting things off….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"article":"I have always remembered this ad I saw decades ago for dental care that said something to the effect of, \u201cIgnore your teeth, and they will go away.\u201d\u00a0 I thought it was a clever message for people that just want to ignore their problems hoping they will go away, instead of trying to fix them.\u00a0 I really, really wish I could say I\u2019ve never taken that path, but this past week this type of thinking caught up with me, and but for the grace of God, it could have been a very tragic outcome.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never been so rattled in my life at how putting something off that was so simple could have resulted in consequences so bad by not addressing an issue in one of our vehicles.\u00a0 It has put a new level of frustration in me when I see people looking for answers in their own life but not willing to put a little bit of time and a little bit of money into themselves to solve their problems.\r\n\r\nLife seems busier and busier every year, and it\u2019s easy to put off things that need to be fixed until something breaks.\u00a0 While I think we all agree that is probably not the way to attack our problems, I think it is also a function of how we prioritize the limited time we all have in life, and a natural outcropping of those circumstances.\u00a0 Every single person that comes into the gym has a problem that they want solved.\u00a0 It could be a child that needs a structured environment, it could be an adult that wants to get in shape or lose weight, or it could be a person that is simply new to the area and wants to be part of a positive community.\u00a0 What most people don\u2019t realize (and how could they) that being a part of a martial arts community has so many benefits beyond that, but until you jump into a program, you will never know.\r\n\r\nIt's true that the average time people say they have been thinking about joining a martial arts gym is a year.\u00a0 Once they finally come in, it always amazes me when they talk about saying they need MORE time to think about it.\u00a0 I know life is short and it pains me that so many people are truly leading lives of quiet desperation when the answers are right in front of them.\u00a0 How much longer are you going to kick the can down the road?\u00a0 How much longer are you going to let your problems own you?\u00a0 How many more excuses are you goingto give yourself?\u00a0 How much longer are you going to let fear rule over you? How many more times are you going to avoid investing less money in yourself than you will on your cable bill or phone bill?\u00a0 Ten years from now, YOU, yes YOU, could be a black belt in one of the hardest martial arts to master.\u00a0 The question isn\u2019t whether those 10 years will go by, the question is, \u201cWhere will you be at the end of those 10 years?\u201d\r\n\r\nIf not now, when?\u00a0 The best time to have started a martial arts program was yesterday.\u00a0 The second best time is TODAY.\u00a0 I used to have my bio posted at the gym, and maybe I need to post it again.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t heard a single excuse from someone not joining that I haven\u2019t personally experienced myself.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not in shape\u201d\u2026.. I had back issues so bad when I started martial arts I was regularly bed ridden.\u00a0 \u201cI have kids\u201d\u2026.. I had 2 kids, 7 and 8 years old when I started this business.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m too old\u201d\u2026\u2026 I was 45 and out of martial arts for 6 years when I hopped back in.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just too far of a drive\u201d\u2026.. I drove 50 minutes each way for 12 years, 3 times per week when I found a place I wanted to train at.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid I might get hurt.\u201d\u2026\u2026. I\u2019m afraid of living a life never taking a chance on myself.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m too small.\u201d \u2026.. Do you have any idea how rewarding it is when you devote yourself so thoroughly to an endeavor where your skill overcomes larger opponents?\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t have the time.\u201d\u2026\u2026. No, in most cases time is not the issue, your priorities are.\u00a0 Do you spend more than 3 hours per week on your phone?\u00a0 Well, then you have plenty of time to join a gym.\r\n\r\nIf not now, when?\u00a0 Had my life ended last Tuesday, or should my life end tomorrow, I will be comfortable in the knowledge that for most of my life, WHEN was THEN, and WHEN is NOW.\u00a0 Life is shorter than we think.\u00a0 Like one of the technicians I used to work with 30 years ago said, (After I said, \u201cI think blah blah blah\u2026..\u201d)\u00a0 \u201cGreg, don\u2019t think, do.\u201d\u00a0 So, whether it\u2019s martial arts or some other goal or dream.\u00a0 Stop thinking, and start doing.","featured_image":"","featured_image_id":"","featured_article":""},"categories":[4],"class_list":["post-395","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","category-gb3-expert-jiu-jitsu"],"yoast_head":"\n