This is what passion means to us:
We love martial arts. We love doing it, training it, watching it, talking about it, thinking about it.
We love how it’s helped us and shaped us but most of all we love sharing it and inspiring others. And we strive to ignite that passion in the people we share it with so that one day roles are reversed and we are learning from and being inspired by them.
The world around us is built in a way that encourages conformity, that celebrates us if we fit ourselves into a box that is defined by what other people think we should be. We all do it. We lay out our own expectations of how everyone else should be and we in turn succumb to the pressure of society's expectations of us.
As Joseph Campbell said,
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us".
And that most often means going against the grain. Following your heart. Taking the risky path. Listening to what makes you feel alive and brings you joy.
And when you take the road less travelled and follow your bliss, you have to make it a point to keep that fire that burns bright within you alive. We need it to keep us going when times get tough - and they will. It's all part of the journey.
