(Re-posted form General DIscussion 16/04/23)
Now that I have set sail on this journey of self-discovery with the Paxtial Arts, I am firmly of the belief that this new-found knowledge will lead to great personal power. Power can often have a negative connotation but here is how I see it.
I like to define power as an ability to act in a particular manner, or a way that can guide or influence. Power is distinct from force which could be defined as a physical movement that compels or coerces a particular response. Power then acts independently of force and relies upon a skill set or range of innate attributes to achieve an outcome, compared to the physical nature of a push or pull.
So, without true power to achieve long lasting change or meaningful goals, we would have to either rely on force (like a bully) or hope (like a daydreamer). Since we are here with the Paxtial Arts, none of us are or wish to be bullies, nor are we content to be idle. This would suggest that we desire to develop personal power that can be used in the service of something greater than us – humankind.
The Rat Race video in Lesson 6 really got me thinking about running on the treadmill of life every day, to the beat of someone else’s drum. As martial artists we all have developed our signature moves, our favourites, but what about our “moves” to achieve deep mental, emotional and soulful growth?
I learned the framework of the following moves from my studies with The SEALFIT Unbeatable Mind Academy and I’d like to share these with you. This knowledge helped me during a very challenging period in my life and I hope you see value in them too and allied with our Paxtial Arts training.
The Wake-Up Move: This move is to awaken to your story and begin to live life on your own terms, not the pre-conditioned terms or those imposed by others. This awakening is often a deeply moving experience, where a strong link to nature and spirit is felt, leaving you altered and thirsty for greater insight and wisdom – and freed from the shackles of previous limiting believes and negative behaviours.
The Grow-Up Move: This move is the essence of physical and mental growth. We grow biologically and psychologically but this is limited. If we can learn to infuse emotional and soulful growth then we can re-ignite ourselves to reach our fullest potential as a human being, which is exactly what the world needs right now. That potential can then be translated into power in the last move.
The Clean-Up Move: This move is really challenging for most because it involves working on our past emotional baggage, those patterns and “stuck doors” that are hampering our performance and limiting our power right now. "Polishing the Mirror" or Cleaning-up within is like personal grooming without – presentation is everything. Without this introspection we can constrict ourselves and be exposed to self-sabotage.
The Open-Up Move: This move is an inward one, where you open-up to the innate wisdom of your soulful self. You learn to trust your gut and see insights more clearly. You make decisions from the higher-self and are in control of your thoughts, emotions and behaviours to an uncommon degree. This is Self-Mastery in its purest form. This move must come after the first three (there’s that majestic number again), as stunted development can prevent inward movement, making it very difficult to open-up to your intuitive and soulful intelligence. Ironically, the opposite also applies – you can’t move without, whilst remaining still within.
The Show-Up Move: This move is where your personal power is projected. The first four moves develop deep potential. When your Mindscope is focused on a worthy target, that potential will deliver extraordinary power. Showing-up is about taking massive action that is energized by your full potential, inspired by your purpose and navigated by winning principles.
These are powerful moves, which can mean the difference between being a contender or a pretender which reminds me of what Jackson Browne wrote about in his song, The Pretender - "Are you there? Say a prayer for the pretender. Who started out so young and strong only to surrender."