How often in life do we get sidetracked with achieving all kinds of worldly things—name, fame, celebrity, riches, power, status, lands, titles, properties and on and on? The list of things we set out to accomplish in this life is endless, but the germane issue is that all worldly attainments are exactly that, worldly. Sound a little esoteric? Perhaps, but it's true. Life is energy. It can neither be created nor destroyed.
If there is any one thing that separates “grown ups” from children it is that Grown Ups, Own Up. Adults take responsibility for their own actions and do not blame others for their choices or lot in life. As the famous Indian Saint, Guru Nanak (the first of the ten Sikh Gurus), emphatically stated: I blame not another; I blame my own karmas. Whatever I sowed, so did I reap. Why then put the blame on others?
(Source: The Black Belt Book of Life – Topic #35) In climbing high to reach nobility, and supportive of their sibling Ds, are the Cs of Character, Courage, Commitment, Concentration and Consistency. The first essential step to a spiritual life is character. Saint Sawan Singh Only a man’s character is the real criterion of worth. Eleanor Roosevelt The first prerequisite of a gentleman or a lady is a good moral character.
Remember this photo of Aidan “Smasher” Ligtvoet taken a few years ago when he was a very young aspiring martial artist in the Kiado-Ryu system? Obviously, he knew what he wanted to be! Well, look at him now at age 16! Smasher is all grown up. He tested for and accomplished his KIA Green Belt on Thursday, 26 January 2023. He now has a green light to move in accomplishing his 1st Dan Brown Belt status.
(Source: The Black Belt Book of Life, Topic #34) In seeking patterns of success and a strategy to win, The "D" Line offers five clear maxims: Desire, Dedication, Determination, Discretion, Discipline. A strong passion for any object will ensure success, for the desire of the end will point out the means. Henry Hazlitt Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal—a commitment to excellence—that will enable you to attain the success you seek.
(Source: Parenting Wisdom: What to Teach the Children; Published: 27 June 2013) RichardKing.net & Amazon In the 1960s the American folk singing group Peter, Paul and Mary, popularized a Pete Seeger song entitled, Where Have All The Flowers Gone? It is not an unfair question in these early years of the 21st Century to ask, “Where have all the manners gone?” What are manners? Manners are social modes of action expressing respect and deference for others.