It’s another Thursday afternoon at the Dojo, I’m sitting in my office waiting for our Pre-Karate students to file in for the first class of the day. Little Vicky is one of the first ones to burst in through the front door, skipping as she makes her way in. She makes an abrupt stop in front of my office door and shouts: “Hi Sensei!” She then proceeds to tell me all about what she did at school today, what is going to happen tomorrow, and finally asks me if she will be getting a stripe on her belt today. I reply that if she practiced and has good discipline in class, she could earn a new stripe.
These type interactions may seem innocent enough, but over the years I have learned some amazing lessons by paying attention to the kids at our Dojo. One thing I’ve learned is that children are full of joy and expectation of what today and tomorrow will bring. Life is an adventure with many wonderful surprises to be lived and discovered every day. It is so refreshing to be around them.
As adults though, many of us have become critical and cynical about the time in front of us. We dread Monday and look forward to Friday, as if the days in between were just a drag on life. But what if we approached the week and every day like those little kids, with a happy expectation of wonderful things to happen to us and around us?
Looking at our youngest students' outlook I realize that their positive attitude is halfway in the road to happiness. Making things happen is the other half. What is it that you want from the day, the week, the month, or the year? Go make it happen, expect it to happen, and be happy and cheerful in the process. Life may not always be perfect, but having a purpose and a positive attitude makes life worth living, yes, even on a Monday.
Frank Sinatra sang “The best is yet to come, and won’t that be fine? You’ve seen the sun, but you ain’t seen it shine”. It is definitely possible that your best years are just ahead of you. You may have had a good life so far, but I truly believe that God has wonderful things in store for us, better than anything in our past, if we trust and have the will and the attitude to make it happen. I sure hope we do. That’s what I wish for you and for me this new Year.
Sensei Willy Strohmeier founded Colorado Karate Club in 2005 and has taught traditional Shotokan karate to children and adults in Brighton and Westminster, Colorado, ever since, and writes a monthly column for The Brighton Buzz. More about CKC