The Key to Making Life Unique and Worthwhile by Jim Rohn
The key to making life really unique and worthwhile is to share. Sharing has a certain unique magic of its own. Here’s what I learned in sharing ideas.
If you share an idea with ten different people, they get to hear it once, and you get to hear it ten times. So here’s part of self-interest for yourself, getting you even better prepared for the future. Share ideas. Share with your family, share with the people around you, share with other employees, share with your colleagues.
Because, by sharing, two things happen. Here’s what we call it. I don’t know how to explain it, but I do know it happens. And I don’t know all about how it happens or why it happens, it just happens.
When one person shares with another, two things happen. The audience could be transformed, and so could the speaker. If you share with someone else, they could be transformed. You may have dropped in at the right time. This may be their moment.
They’ve got three numbers dialed into the lock already, and if you say it well and say it right you’ll be the fourth number that they can dial into the lock of their personal experience and the door will come open and there’s opportunity they never saw before. The person who hears could be transformed.
But here’s what else is exciting. The person who speaks could be transformed. Guess what we’re all looking for… transformation for our new life. The new life tomorrow, the new life this month, the new life next year, the new life this year.
The caterpillar one day says, “I think I was made for more than this crawling on the ground.” So the caterpillar climbs the tree, attaches himself to a leaf and spins the cocoon. Who knows what disciplined effort it takes to spin a cocoon. But something inside the caterpillar says, “I was designed for something more than being just a caterpillar.”
And then when the cocoon is ready and it opens up, out comes a butterfly that flies away, maybe singing, “I believe I can fly! I believe I can touch the sky! I used to be a caterpillar on the ground, now I fly.”
I’m asking you to go through such a metamorphosis. I’m asking you often to go through a period where you say, “New skills, new things are waiting for me,” and part of this will come if you’ll translate for other people what you feel in your heart and in your soul. As awkward as your language might be at first, don’t hesitate to do it.
Here’s what sharing does… makes room for more. Key question: If the glass is full of water, can it hold any more? And the answer is yes. Yes, if you pour some out. So jot that down. If you want more, you’ve got to pour out what you’ve got, and then you have the opportunity to receive more.
Now, unlike the glass that remains the same size when you pour some out, it’s not so in the consciousness of human beings. Your capacity will increase the more you share. You’ll get bigger and bigger and bigger.
Now, why the self-interest wish to be bigger? Here’s why: to hold more of the next experience. Some people can’t hold much happiness because they’re too small, their thinking is too small, their activity is too small, they’re too small in their ability to share, they’re just too small. Can’t hold much. They’re too small.
But the bigger you get, the more you will receive. When happiness is poured out, you’ll get more. When joy is poured out on the nation, you’ll get more. When bounty is poured out from the economy, you will get more, if you share what you’ve got and become bigger and bigger and bigger.
The thoughts related in Mr. Rohn’s article fit very well with our karate training. When I started training in Isshin-ryu Karate in 1973, I did not know anything about the style. I was traveling to Ledgewood to get thing that were needed for our apartment and saw people wearing white that were punching and kicking. After I bought what was needed, I stopped at the dojo, watched a part of the class, spoke with the sensei and started training the next day. Information from more experienced students was shared with me and I started to learn. What was being taught was much different from any other type of martial arts training that I had previously done, so I accepted what was being taught and progressed through the ranks. After earning my yellow belt I assisted with classes and found, as in teaching at the high school, teaching at the dojo added insight and understanding to what I had been taught. Sharing Isshin-ryu insights with newer students, reinforced what I had been taught and I had to be certain what I was sharing was correct. After earning my black belt and opening the Isshin-ryu School of Karate in 1979, added pressure was put on my shoulders to continue to learn, advance my skills and understanding and to strive to improve daily to best help the students in the dojo. Training with two first generation students of the founder of the style, Tatsuo Shimabuku, (Walter VanGilsen and William H. Duessel – my current instructor-) has added great insight and understanding to advance my abilities and to help be teach the style the way it was originally taught.
I was transformed physically, mentally and emotionally by the teachings of my first instructor and those developments have positively affected my life outside the dojo. Setting goals along the way have helped me continue to make continued steps toward perfecting the elements taught within our style, specifically in kata, kobudo and kumite.
Each student has the capacity to learn and share what is learned with others in the dojo. Each student has the capacity to use the internal developments taught within our dojo to positively affect one’s daily life. As we carry the discipline and teachings found in the dojo into our daily lives, we may be able to positively affect others by our good example. As my grandfather said many years ago, “You look at other people as you truly see yourself.” Making small steps every day toward becoming a more positive person, we will interact with others and positively influence them.
As we enter 2013, chose to share your positive attitudes with others, transforming yourself and others to see the capacity that each of us has to become a positive influence in our schools and community.
“You have not lived a perfect day, even though you have earned your money, unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” Ruth Smeltzer
Believe in miracles.
Find the Secret to life within yourself.
Live to help others and you will truly help yourself.
Congratulations to the students who earned promotion since our last newsletter: John DeHuff – Junior Yellow Belt, Thomas Schroeder – Senior Green Belt
Weather Reminder: As we approach the winter season, listen to WRNJ Radio 1510 AM, 92.7 and 104.7 FM if the weather is questionable. I will make class cancellations by 4 pm on days when weather conditions may not be safe. Also, I will post information on our dojo web site, www.isshin-ryu.com .
