So after my latest karate competition this weekend I got to thinking about a fortune I got last week in my fortune cookie at dinner and how it applied to me.  Most the time my fortunes seem silly, meaningless and out of the box but this one was different to me.

A little over a year ago I decided to take up a new “sport”.  A new direction in my life.  It was scary and I was sure that people would laugh at me but that didn’t stop me.  I had been coming to my boys karate classes for a couple months and loved their instructor, Mrs. Cupples.  I loved her encouraging and positive way of dealing with the kids.  She has a great outlook on life and pushes the kids to do the best THEY can not what everyone else can do.  When she decided that she wanted to offer the same training for adults, I thought sure, I’ll give it a try.  What was the worst that was going to happen?  I would do it for a couple months and decide it wasn’t for me?  Or better yet, try it and love it and continue on for as long as the journey will take me?  Well that is exactly what happened but the journey is not over yet.  It’s only just begun.  Despite the occasional laugh or “why are you doing THAT?” comments I’ve gotten, I’ve stuck with it.  Now look at me.  I’ve made it all the way to green belt (the first novice belt), won several medals and just today started helping Mrs. Cupples teach in her 5 year old class.  I’m proud to say that I train in karate and it has become a VERY important part of my life.

So I’ll bet you are wondering what my fortune was that night at dinner.  Here is what it said . . . “All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs”.  I was immediately taken by that comment because it is so true.  Because of Mrs. Cupples, Community Karate Clubs, Family Karate Center, Kyoshi Haynes and my new karate family, I believe more in myself than I ever have.  I believe that I can do things that before I couldn’t.  I have an amazing positive support system around me that encourages me to do MY very best in EVERYTHING I do.  It is much easier most days for me to let things go and realize there are more important things in life to worry about.  Don’t get me wrong though, I still have my days but then I think about my new journey and it helps me put my life back in perspective.  I can not thank Mrs. Cupples enough for believing in me and seeing things in me that I don’t always see at first.  Some days she is that positive strength in my life that I need.  It is her belief in me that helped me come to the realization that “I CAN do this” or “I AM that tough”.  Mostly that I don’t need to be pushed around by anybody.

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