Zen and the Art of Getting Your Ass Kicked

Have you ever gotten to that threshold where you feel like you’re going to break, emotionally?

It happens in martial arts practice, if you train hard enough.

Think of a time when you literally got your ass kicked, whether it was in training or sparring. No matter how hard you tried, maybe you weren’t fast enough, strong enough, skilled enough, or fit enough. How did you feel? Frustrated? Scared? Angry? Even emotional?

It happens in business, if you work hard enough.

If you’re an entrepreneur or in management I don’t even have to explain. The challenges and responsibilities of human relations, production logistics, revenue and accounting and client care are more than enough to kick anyone’s ass.

If you are or have been in a long term relationship, you know it definitely happens there too.

Okay, this can go on and on. If you’ve been in a relationship for more than a couple years, you know it takes work to make it work. And that includes getting your ass kicked every now and then. (not physically of course… hopefully!)

Whether it’s in martial arts practice, business or in relationships…

[...when you lose, don't lose the lesson!]

It can be the most painful experience - emotionally that is. And if you’ve never experienced any of this, one thing’s for sure…

You’re not working hard enough!!

It’s not just about winning or performing. If you know how to look for the lesson, you always learn more from the so called ‘failures,’ right? Sure, it sucks and it hurts the ego. Whatever. Think about it. Once you get passed your ego, how much more do you learn when you get your ass kicked?

What makes all the difference is how you handle [mistakes, failures. or getting your so called 'ass kicked'.] Does it emotionally paralyze and debilitate you? It’s ok if does TEMPORARILY. Instead of beating yourself up and getting down on yourself, wouldn’t it be more constructive to use that time to reflect and look for the lesson?

Look… There have been times in my life when I thought it would be easier to just give up. By the time I was 30 I had gone through more hardships than some people do in a lifetime. I had seen and experienced things that would hold no shame if I had decided to settle for less. But I didn’t and I won’t. So why should you?

Now I’m 34. And when I look back at the most significant milestones in my life, they were all results of overcoming the greatest hardships. I’ve gotten my ‘ass kicked’ a lot – emotionally that is. And those experiences served as the biggest stepping stones in my life.

Look at obstacles as stepping stones. The bigger they are the bigger the leap forward!

I’m not gonna sugar coat it. It’s not easy. That’s why you have to have a support system to get you through those challenging times. Surround yourself with people that are better than you. (Even that is hard for some people – ego is a bitch).

Getting back up after an emotional ass kicking is more about mindset and perception than anything else. Train and build yourself and you can take on the world!

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