In life you have to take some risks. If you don't, how will you ever know if you could have ever done all of the things you ever wanted or lived a life that made you truly happy.
Without risk there is only regret and with regret there is only sorrow. This also applies to your training.
- Don't be nervous or afraid to take risks.
- Don't worry about trying new things.
- Don't worry about getting caught.
- Don't worry about what others might think of you if you just train escapes for a long time while not trying to go for finishes.
- Don't think twice about executing a move, just do it.
- Don't worry about losing position.
- If you feel the risk may lead to a reward then go for it. Don't just sit back and second guess yourself.
- Don't roll different just because someone is higher rank then you or more experienced.
No one ever succeeds without failure. Chances are if you never took actual risks and you never failed then you never really tried. Without trying you'll always wonder.
The goal is to not have any "what if's", it's to take action now and know regardless of the outcome you won't have the regret of not knowing.
Here is the selection that I came across:
RISK
Author unknown
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to others is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk theirloss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken,
because the greatest hazard in life is to do nothing.
The person who risks nothing,
does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, and live.
Chained by their attitudes, they are a slave,
they forfeited their freedom.
Only the person who risks can be free
-- As mentioned above the words don't apply strictly to grappling, but to life in general. This is even more important because while all of us enjoy the sport of grappling, that's just the small picture in life. You should apply this concept to everything you do.
Enjoy every moment that is given to you. Enjoy all of the good people around you, and definitely enjoy the opportunities you have in the grappling sport you train because you share something with many people around the world that a lot of others don't.
- You have the ability to be creative.
- You have the ability to be friends with those you would have never thought before.
- You have the ability to stay in shape.
- You have the ability to increase your confidence.
- You have the ability to use grappling in a way to build goals and extend those goals outside of the gym.
Always do your best to "Make Things Happen", and not "watch things happen".
