At times, individualism will become a subject of contemplation for those who have grown up in competitive societies. Though its presence is real, for many it can be a veiled aspect of our lives. We often believe so strongly in self-interest that our attitudes toward a life-experience will boil down to how personally beneficial it is, and no more.
Obliviously, we will then spend our lives chasing what we want and not what we are, all in an attempt to reach a level of recognition and reward which we have assumed for ourselves. A sequestered career enriched with artificial camaraderie yet devoid of any true respect.
Often times when someone has a talent which they share exclusively for monetary gains or social favours, they are scrutinized, causing the value in their ability to become a source of distance between them and their peers.
The alternative is the simple choice we make to serve respect, which is an essential component of a true relationship between two individuals. Show respect by using your talents to help those around you.
The first thing that a new martial-arts student will notice when they enter a dojo is that the students and the instructors will bow to one-another. This is because the instructors have been trained to selflessly share values, which on a character level will enrich the lives of the students, and the students learn how to show their appreciation for the instructor doing so by bowing. The instructor bows as well because he was once at the level of his students and he respects the journey of each individual in the classroom as much as he does his own.
The students learn how to demonstrate respect as a part of their training in order to educate themselves on its importance in a healthy relationship with their peers.
Once we learn how to show respect for the values we have been given, we can begin to respect others for their own values, and once we learn to respect others, we can begin to garner respect for ourselves in others.
Someone who selflessly shares their talents will inspire many people to respect them for who they are. This is because we are so used to being compensated for our efforts that it takes a degree of compassion for your fellow man in order to share your resources with them altruistically. When people see that you value them enough to reach out to them in this manner, they are more likely to regard you with respect.
Our lives do not need to be calculated processes of gains and losses, leaving each seemingly human interaction behind as a mere business transaction. Rather, we can improve our lives by simply improving the lives of those around us. Helping people feel good about who they are is a great achievement and will inspire others to do the same. The net effect is the sense of contentment a person gets from building a positive persona that is congruent with whom they are. This is exactly the type of persona that a true leader requires in order to create a strong creative energy between himself and his pupils.
People are more likely to listen intently to someone who they feel is there as an opportunity than they are to someone who is a commodity.
These principles are what have allowed me to share my vast experience and passion for martial-arts with so many lives in such an effective manner. I am here because I love what I do, I believe in what I do, and I wish all my students the same.
