If, on the other hand, you become very selective with whom you will associate with – and only choose winners, you will naturally start to catapult upward, even when you may not consciously think you are trying to do so. 

Based on my experience, I’d say that a good friendship is a relationship of good intent. A good friend is someone who wishes you well, who cares about your problems, who enjoys your triumphs, and who will sacrifice for you. On the other hand, a bad friendship is based on taking rather than giving. A bad friend is one who just sees you as a resource, as a person he can get something from.

Here’s a test that you can use to determine whether you are (or someone you know is) the right kind of friend or the “what’s-in-it-for-me?” type…

How strongly do you identify with the following comments?
1. “When I am introduced to someone, I am primarily concerned with that person’s importance – financial, political, commercial, etc. – to me or my world.”

2. “If I meet someone who has nothing to give me or teach me – or who can’t even amuse me – I act civilly but coolly.”

3. “The best thing about having friends is that they are willing to listen to my problems.”

4. “The next-best thing about friends is that they will do business with my honey/spouse.”

5. “Another value of friendship is that if I get into serious financial trouble, my friends will be financially capable of helping me out.”
Rate yourself (or your friend) on a scale of 1 to 4 for each of the above statements, with 4 representing “strongly agree” and 1 representing “strongly disagree.”

If you scored a perfect 20, consider yourself on your way to a major career in politics or Hollywood. (I’m guessing.)

If you scored a perfect 5, you will be happy for the rest of your life.
If you scored somewhere in between, decide for yourself which direction you want to move in.

Often people fail because they work on skills first. Let's say you are learning to play a musical instrument.

You begin by practicing each day. You struggle with the exercises the teacher has given you.

You are serious about learning…and so you expect a lot of yourself.

However, because these skills are difficult to master, you become frustrated and eventually quit your practice sessions.

 You made the mistake of trying something difficult without having the proper habits in place.

A better approach would have been to practice for a brief amount of time each day…without putting any pressure on yourself to improve.

Bang away at the keys;  play your favorite parts of songs you do know;  make up stuff…in short, have fun.

Stick to this approach for thirty, sixty, or maybe even ninety days…until the HABIT of practicing is firmly embedded in your routine.

Skills will automatically follow!
 

Here's what's going on inside your body.  Your stomach is saying to your brain, "Hey, we need some food down here.  Isn't this guy ever going to feed us?"

Your brain says, "I don't know what's up. Dinner is usually at six!"

The same thing happens when you go to sleep and get up at different times each day.

Instead of doing what your body is meant to do (give you energy, help you think clearly, fight off sickness and disease), you've got it wondering when it's going to be fed and rested.

It can't function properly under these conditions.

When you eat and sleep at the same time each day, your body can quit worrying and do all the wonderful things it was created to do.

The student’s travels were filled with many trials and tribulations; he battled many vagabonds, bullies and street thugs. He finally arrived at the distant temple, after walking for almost a year, tattered, weathered, but a different man. He was greeted as a champion and was led directly into the chamber of elders.

The elders handed him a beautiful, leather-bound book, The Book of Knowledge. The book had only one page, which was a mirror. Of course, the student/warrior only saw his reflection. He became frustrated and asked, “Is this a joke?” The elders said, “You are the only one besides us who has made the journey and survived. You are the living example; you can now take our place as the elder and run the temple, so we can leave.” The warrior threw the book to the ground, breaking the mirror. Loudly, he said, “I am happy to be able to have lived the lessons, but I will not waste my time in this jail when so many things are still to be learned.” He then left.

This story is a fine example of the quest for martial arts training. Today, students are not as patient as they once were and they do not realize that lessons are not always clear. The lessons are their experiences, failures, successes, bumps and bruises, frustrations, and their trust in their teachers.

Lessons are constantly presented to you, if you chose to learn. The road to success is paved in sweat, hard work and determination. A very wise man once told me, “The only thing of any worth is something
you worked hard for.” Trust in your teacher, but work hard and live the lessons – train to live – live to train.

Be the example – live the Black Belt, don’t just tie it around your waist.