I had a long night tonight. I had to make up a Leadership test I missed because of work. For an hour and a half, I taught or performed every technique and form from White Belt to Black Tip. While I wasn't perfect, far from it, I was good enough to earn my Leadership Patch. Next stop..."T" Instructor!
So what do I get from Tae-Kwon-Do? Better shape? Confidence? Fulfillment?
All of the above...but the most important thing is...Encouragement. The "can do" attitude is like water to a plant. The instructors push you and provide an environment of motivation.
While this is all good, my conflict is getting the boys to "buy in". Their idea of a goal is beating the current video game they are playing...wheee! Actually, I like a good game and play a few with the boys but winning or finishing is not a top priority to me.
Setting a goal (Black Belt) and seeing yourself making steady progress toward that goal is very rewarding. Beating the boss at the end a particularly hard level is satisfying, I'm sure, but developing yourself over a 2 1/2 to 3 year period to achieve something special is even more so. Receiving encouragement along the way is icing on the cake. My hope is that they would take this attitude and determination to use in other aspects of their lives.
I wish everyone in our house would understand this.
Posted by mrchipper at March 23, 2005 10:45 PM