The times in my life when I felt the most lost was immediately after a moment of achievement. Once the thrill of the accomplishment has settled and all is quiet. The struggle is over and battle has been fought. After the breath of satisfaction has been taken a thought enters the mind. Now what? Is this all? For me it’s always been analogous to finishing a favorite book. I have found that the last few pages have always been the most anxiety provoking. Not because of the climax of the story or the pending resolution of the mystery but because this amazing journey was soon coming to its end! It is curious how we work so hard for a goal all the while benefiting more from the work put forth than the goal achieved.
Why? Because the battle is only a small part of the journey and often the smallest part of the journey. It is the path leading to the battle that gives us the greatest growth. It is the fight with the mind’s inherent need to seek out the path of least resistance. Its holding ourselves accountable for our progress or lack there of. Its the sacrifice of time and instant gratification in exchange for the long term investment of mental and physical strength.
It’s not a mystery why cultures spanning across time and distance have all developed a repeating pattern of the hero’s journey in their mythology. While there are several stages of the hero’s journey, it’s that of the trials that morphs the protagonist into a hero. It is this same struggle that makes us better parents, better spouses, better at work and simply better at life.
My belief is that many of us are attracted to Jiu Jitsu for just this reason. This lifestyle is a never ending road of struggle. In turn becoming a never ending journey of growth. At the end of every belt there is a new challenge. At the end of every competition there are new goals to achieve. At the end of every practice there are new techniques to develop. For the average individual this would seem like hell on earth. But we are not average. We are not ordinary and will not settle for growing old and timid. We look at life in the eyes and say give me all you got because through my struggles and growth I will be the hardest human you ever try to break. That is the beauty of the struggle. That is the beauty of Jiu Jitsu.