Our Lives = Call to Action

Over the course of the next year or so, I will be sharing a lot about myself, but I'd like to start by giving a brief overview about what my life is like right now, because although our lives are each full of unique blessings and challenges, in some ways, my life my be like yours:

During most of my waking hours, I work as an English teacher at a small, urban charter high school which strives to give a college-prep education to traditionally underserved and/or at-risk students. When the school day ends, my work continues. Several hours are spent grading and planning. Other time is dedicated to meeting with other staff, students, and parents.

Some days are different. On certain days, I travel to meet with the school's board of trustees (of which I am a member) to listen to and discuss the direction of our organization. At other times, I have been called to visit other schools with a committee to guide them in the process of evaluating their program. On some evenings, I stay late and meet with prospective families. There are a myriad of events throughout the year, and I am present for the majority of them.

Beyond the walls of my school, more occurs. I strive to maintain positive contacts and relationships with others in the martial arts world. Sometimes that means a cup of coffee, a shared meal, or possibly a friendly e-mail. Other times it involves volunteering for tournaments or supporting other events. I also seek out ways to further myself and my knowledge, so that I can share these benefits with my students. There is also time for myself, a luxury which I insist upon, else it disappear into other priorities. Most importantly, there is time for my loved ones, whom I could write endless pages about...but I digress.

My training is interwoven into the fabric of all of these things, as are the times when I train my students at the high school. I look forward to it each day. In another lifetime, I operated a school for my master instructor, so this time comes naturally to me. His lessons have helped me to find balance amidst all of the things which I may encounter in my day.

For me, the "Live" project drives home to the heart of my life's work and expands upon it. It will be an incredible opportunity for myself and my students to transcend the "comfort zone" of our current training and push it to entirely new levels. It will also provide me with multiple opportunities to face myself and grow from the experience. There is still much for me to learn, and the prospect of doing this is exciting because I've chosen to take a new, bold step which aligns with my life's mission.

Yet, I must confess that while reading up on the program, I battled with myself (briefly) before making the commitment. There is a side of my psyche that whispers things like, "How will I make the time for this?", or "This sure seems like a lot." Fortunately, it was a short-lived conflict - and now I'm here, as a member of the "Live" 2010 team!

If you're reading this now, chances are that you've been glancing through the UBBT/Live site and learning more about the program. Some of you may even be in a similar life situation as myself: a dedicated martial artist, working professional, and a busy social being. There are some of you who were looking at this and thinking, "Wow, that looks amazing!", but you're listening to another side of your psyche - the one which talks you out of doing things which may be uncomfortable, even if they are beneficial.

To you, I would say: you are already the kind of person with this potential. Why fight the urge to do something powerful with your life, when you possess the capability to do it?

I'd love to see you with us. We may not have met, but if you're reading this, then I know you're already the kind of person that this program needs, and the kind of martial artist with the capacity to make a difference.

Let's do this together. I hope to see you soon.