Life can be very difficult at times. It’s all too easy to lose hope along the way and fall into verying degrees of depression.
But let’s break it down to make it simple…
Depression is technically just a lack of hope. The opposite of depression is having an abundance of optimism. It’s a state of being characterized by a strong and positive outlook on the future.
As a Kung Fu sifu, my job is to empower people. Sure I teach them fighting moves but what I really do is find ways to help them succeed in all areas of their life. When they succeed I succeed. When they fail, I fail.
So what’s the key that I teach students so that they don’t lose hope? The Kung Fu way.
The Kung Fu way refers to the actual definition of Kung Fu, and it is not fighting related at all. It really means the act of studying, learning and practicing in order to achieve something that requires patience, energy, and time to complete. It can refer to any discipline or skill achieved through hard work and practice.
Simply, the harder you work the more skill you attain. So Kung Fu means constantly investing in yourself.
When we invest in ourselves we grow. And there’s no other feeling like growth. Its exciting, exhilarating, hopeful, and reassuring.
Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make.
But invest what? Time? Money? Other resources?
Yes, invest whatever you can.
But how?
Start with the source of your depression.
List the things you want to change about your life.
Now, imagine the life that you want. What would your dream future look like then work backwards.
Einstein said, “imagination is more important than knowledge”. So how go are you at imagining?
Ways to make what you’ve imagined become more real is to create a vision board for yourself of your dream future.
Working backwards is the actionable steps to get to your dream future.
Make these steps simple, direct and specifically targeted to your dream future.
- I despise my body, so imagine having the body you want and set a goal to take actionable steps to build your body daily
- I don’t have any friends, so imagine having tons of friends and then spend time finding friends
- I don’t want to be broke all the time, so imagine a life where you have a surplus of money then take actionable steps to invest in yourself to get the skills necessary in order to get to where you want
- I want to feel more confident, imagine being and feeling completely confident, invest your time in things that change you like martial arts.
Prioritize these goals and then take time out each day to invest in your actions. Turn them into a daily routine and don’t budge until you finish them.
And you know what?
Day by day, as long as you stick with your daily routine you’ll start to feel happier. Because when you do the exact thing you need to do, hope is inevitable.
Now, it’s your turn. If you’re hating life right now, ask yourself, “Am I investing time in my future?” Identify your goals, pinpoint the most effective actions, create a routine, and, most importantly, stick to it. Be patient. I guarantee if you stick to it you will be happier.
This is the Kung Fu way!