Building stronger people….through the training of martial arts. Every year I am amazed at the new group of black belt candidates. Their growth, their respect, their empowerment! This year is no different. I hope you enjoy the following essay, written by one of our young lady black belt candidates.
Lydia was asked to write an essay on greatness, because of how great everyone who knows her…sees her. She is humble and loving yet it is perfectly okay to recognize your greatness too, so we decided to help her see hers.
Greatness -By Lydia
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines greatness as, “the quality or state of being great (as in size, skill achievement, or power)”. Greatness is persevering through a struggle or in the midst of failure.
Power! Learn, help, serve….
Greatness is not determined by how much power or knowledge a person has. Greatness instead it is determined on how willing they are to learn, help, and serve others. Greatness is similar to wisdom. With wisdom, you can get smarter and smarter without ever trying to be wise, just like you can get better and better at something without being great at it.
In order to achieve greatness you need to find a good role model and learn from them while remaining humble and helping others who look up to you. Having a good role model will help you be a good role model for others. And you can teach them what you know so they can be just as good or even better than you. With each new generation, we need to be teaching those who come behind us these things so they can do the same and have better futures. Greatness also comes when we accept that others will be better than us. We will not always be the best and by accepting that, we will have a passion to learn new things and try to become better, while celebrating others’ victories.
“Not everybody can be famous”
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service.” A great person doesn’t only think of themselves, but thinks about others instead. It is important to remember to not think less of ourselves but instead thing of others more. We also need to have self-confidence and not have to rely on others to tell us that we are great. If we rely on others to determine if we are great, it can get to heads and make us think we are the best. Greatness and being the best are not the same thing.
Show me, don’t tell me, how great you are -Master Moniot
Greatness come when we believe that we are great and we show it by doing instead of telling. When we show others what we can do without bragging about it they will be inspired. They will want to do the same. Instead if we were to brag about it they probably wouldn’t like us very much because we would put them down trying to raise ourselves up when we need to look at each other as equals. When we are all on the same level as everyone else we feel no need to bring them down because they are just as good nd you would bring not only yourself but everyone else down as well.
Accept! Greatness!
I have been trying to accept my greatness now. I don’t believe I have reached that point yet, but I am continuing to try. It is important for me to remember to stay humble, but not to think less of myself, but to think more of others by helping them find their greatness as well. By helping and teaching others I will learn more about myself and how to accept my greatness with humility.
BELIEVE!
Greatness comes to those who work hard and believe they can do great things. True greatness is keeping a humble spirit, while accept you can do amazing work without the need to announce it to the world.
Could martial arts help your family like it has helped Lydia? You never know unless you TRY!
