Look at the picture, this is the state of my feet; they have been like this since childhood. You can see how inverted my big toes are and how my 2nd toes nearly overlap the 3rd ones. I’m also quite flat-footed, yet I never let these limitations beat me!
My childhood days at school were quite treacherous to say the least. I was badly bullied; many mocked me for my good nature and told me that my feet made me look like an elf. After a lot of thought and courage, I started Karate aged 11 to improve my self-confidence. The state of my feet didn’t allow me to hop or even run fast, let alone jump; when I started Karate, I almost gave up because I couldn’t do jump kicks. It made me so angry and upset.
However…
Was I going to give my critics the victory they craved for? NEVER! It was time to change that story from one I hated to the one I desired. It was time to create a special new chapter in my life.
I persisted, I found a way around my restrictions and from the point of not even being able to hop, I was starting to do jump kicks. The feel-good factor was pushing me to do more; gradually, my feet became more flexible and conditioned to help me push past my limiting beliefs.
30 years later, that persistence, that belief, that tenacity, and dedication has led me to be the holder of not one but TWO black belt certificates; a black belt in Karate and one in Jujitsu, and I am now practising stunt martial arts, which teaches you those fancy tricks from martial arts movies.
The great Jeff Olsen said that some things are “easy to do, and easy not to do.” It was just as easy for me to quit martial arts altogether as it was to focus on my possibilities and break free from that mental prison cell. Breaking free and overcoming my fears has led to endless, creative opportunities which would not have been foreseeable had I listened to both my inner and outer demons.
Never let your restrictions or your critics dictate to you what you can and can’t do. You simply find a way, keep going, and you NEVER GIVE UP. You take each challenge as an opportunity to grow and flip your stories to that dream climax you’ve always wanted to happen and be brave enough to act that desires chapter out because this is your film…
THIS IS YOUR LIFE!
Boooooooooooooom!
