He went to his master and asked, “Sifu, if I focus hard and work hard, how many years until I am a great warrior?” The master thought for a moment, and quietly replied, “Ten years.” The student, thinking this was far too long, then asked, “What if I focus only on training, applying myself and practice twice a day? How long will it be?” The master looked to the sky, and after a moment, stated, “Twenty years.” Being dismayed the student then stated, “I will only work at martial arts. I will practice all day and forego anything else in my life. I will discipline myself to only the martial arts. How long then?” The master closed his eyes and smiled. “My son, it will then take thirty years.” Exasperated, the student looked down at his feet and posed one final question. “I am confused. Why does it take longer to reach my goal every time I say I will focus more on being a great martial artist?” Sifu looked directly at him and stated, “When you have one on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.” This proverb can be summed up in another well-known idiom: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Both of these point to the wisdom of walking the path to get to a goal. Don’t look at the goal as the most important end all be all. If you look at your goal as the thing that determines your life some negative things will happen.
In life and in school you will have to set goals, and those goals should help provide a tangible destination. The journey, or path, to those goals provides the experience. Do not forsake the experience and learning for the goal. Keep both eyes on the path and enjoy every bite. A disciplined martial arts student wanted to be the best martial artist he could be. |
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