As a child, I was very shy. I only had a few friends in elementary school. I was also homeschooled, which was great, but it also meant that I had less interaction with peers. When I got to high school, I struggled to overcome my fear. I would have great conversations with others, but I often wasn’t the one to initiate a conversation. I hid in schoolwork or listening to music or my phone.
Now, I’d been doing martial arts for a long time at that point. And there’s a truth that I had subliminally learned: You can overcome a challenge when you face it head on. You can choose to hide or run from a challenge, but it won’t go away. The only way to emerge victorious is to turn and face your problems head on.
With that in mind, I was determined to improve. I had one last big event in high school, a competitive speech & debate tournament – something I was very passionate about in high school. I went in with one goal: Have fun & develop friendships. Now, that wasn’t easy. But it was easier because I went in determined to face that challenge head on. I ended up creating some incredible memories & developing stronger friendships – all because I decided to face it head on.
Even today, I have to be very intentional about going out of my way to interact with others & develop relationships. But every time I face that insecurity, I become Stronger & more Confident.
This is why I’m so passionate about the work that we do at Determined Martial Arts. Through martial arts, I gained the confidence to face a problem head on and developed a growth mindset. I was encouraged, challenged, and inspired to overcome my shyness.
And that is why we are so passionate about the work that we do at Determined Martial Arts: Helping others become Strong & Confident so that they can overcome any challenge and seize any opportunity.
