Why do I practice?

This is a question that all students ask themselves at some time. The answer often changes, for some from month to month, and for others from day to day. The struggle to continue to move forward and progress can sometimes be daunting. The dream of a new belt can motivate students. The desire to be better than others can be a drive, too. The greatest inspiration is the desire to be better than oneself - to recognize and tap into one's own potential.

At my level, as a 5th degree black belt, I find motivation in a few places:
My teacher - I want to make him proud and be worthy of his guidance
My students - I want to make them proud and to model for them a path
Myself - I want to be better than I was a month ago, or even yesterday, and only hard work on a consistent basis has the potential to yield that result, which, if done well, will successfully fulfill the previous mentioned factors.

So, as we head into the fall, I wanted to send out some guiding motivation to those who, like me, are involved in the continual struggle to be my best.

As always, thank you.

Steve