Doing Our Best

Master Chang regularly tells us to 'do our best' during Hapkido classes, but why?

The first obvious reason is, and he uses this quote often, that "Excellence is not an act, it is a habit". We become what we repeatedly do. So if we always do our best it is that self that will show up the next time we perform the same act.

There's another related reason though that I've been pondering these past few days; and that relates to the effect that 'doing our best' has on our daily life.

Have you noticed that when you feel down that everything else seems to go that way too? Work seems uninteresting, relationships are more problematic, aches and pains seem to surface. Conversely, when you are feeling great everything else takes on a wonderfully positive glow.

Often after students start Hapkido, their family and friends will tell them, "You're different, a little more confident..."

Master Chang says that, "Every aspect of our life, mirrors every other aspect". I know that sometimes, when I've had a problem in my daily life, I've noticed that this same problem is reflected on the mat. When I've taken time to fix my Hapkido, then naturally problems in my daily life have also eased. It is for this reason I can probably say that Hapkido has saved my life!

So when we show a good attitude and try our best in the dojang, then naturally this will carry forward and help all aspects of our life.

As Master Chang says, lets "do our best".