“I hope I get to compete against the 13 year olds and not the 15 year olds” …One of my 14 year old martial arts students said to me today.
To which I replied, “No. Hope you get to compete against the 15 year olds. Start mentally preparing for them now. Then, the only surprise you’ll get is that you have to compete against the 13 year olds.”
…So many times in life, we hope for the easy/ easier/ easiest option—it’s only natural. We humans are wired to pursue the path of least resistance. But—as I’m sure each of you reading this are all too familiar with—life doesn’t consult us on what our preferences are. Life doesn’t care what’s convenient for us or what we want. Life just happens—for better and for worst.
And rather than praying for lighter burdens—as the saying goes—we should be hoping and praying for stronger backs. By preparing for the tougher of the alternative outcomes, we prepare ourselves in the best way for any of the possible outcomes. Including the ones we hoped wouldn’t happen, but did anyway.
…Like the one my 14 year old student faced today when she found out she had to compete against the 15 year olds.