A note from the Universe for 2011

I subscribe to a daily email called "Notes from the Universe". (You can get on the list for free by clicking here).

Anyway here is a note sent to me for 2011, I thought it was a good one.

Joseph, soon the new year starts, so now's a great time to:

1. Wipe the slate clean.
2. Focus upon what you really want.
3. Chart your course.

Right?

Well... only if you want to risk having to repeat these steps for the same wishes next year! Maybe this is splitting hairs, but here's an adventurous alternative:

1. Give thanks that life is... just as it is (and that it's been... just as it's been). Because of it, you're now "READY."

2. Define what you want in terms of the end result. Don't worry about the hows, or even the course. KNOW that what you want is ALREADY yours in spirit, by divine LAW, just focus on the certainty of this ownership, understand it, claim it, and "it will be on earth, as it is in heaven (spirit)."

3. LET THE UNIVERSE show you the way via your impulses and instincts that appear as you take inspired action. Don't worry that your first steps seem silly or futile. And if you don't know what to do, do anything! Go! Get busy! Do not insist on intermediary successes, only upon the end result.

2011 is going to be your year (it already is),
The Universe

An important cause....

I love knowing about and supporting good causes, especially this time of year. My sister in law works for the company that manufactures these. If you have an extra ten bucks this year I don't think you could do more good in the world with it than this.

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Does money grow on trees?

For some it does; for others.... maybe not so much.

Possibly the best 15 minutes you will spend all week

This video speaks for itself.

Happy Thanks-Giving!

Happy = Joy, Thanks = Gratitude, Giving = Kindness.
What a great holiday!

SMILE from Nic Askew on Vimeo.

Bruce Lee's screen test.

I really enjoyed watching this. You can see the youthfulness and the eagerness of young Master Lee - very nice.

The dog buscuit

Hi again all; this is a talk taken from my weekly podcast - my podcast is really about sharing inspiration and ideas I'm learning with everyone who's interested. It's designed to be uplifting and motivational with a strong undercurrent of metaphysics. I hope you enjoy it!

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An American Hero

I just thought this was worth sharing. The details in the link below I think tell a better story than the video only.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39533885/from/toolbar

Why to believe in others

Viktor Frankl: Why to believe in others | Video on TED.com

A wonderful talk that tells us why that being positive toward others is not just nice; it's our responsibility, and actually uplifts mankind.

Testing was a smashing success!!

Testing night went great last night! I was so proud of each of the participants, how prepared they were and how much effort they put out. If I ever lack enthusiasm, or feel discouraged, I will think back on how much real work was put in by the group, how seriously they take their practice, and how great they looked.

I am truly a lucky teacher indeed!

Don't let things turn invisible!

It's really easy to forget the beauty that's all around us. After a hard day of teaching classes i get to walk out and look at this elegance; If i don't remind myself how beautiful it all is, it might as well the invisible!

Joseph Hurtsellers - Sensei
Martial Arts Center /ohiomartialarts.com
419.385.1000

Thoughts on Black Belt Today

When I started Martial Arts in the 70's Black Belt was rare. If a Black Belt even walked into the dojo (which didn't happen all that often), the entire room would be called to attention, everyone would bow deeply out of courtesy to this rare treat!

Unfortunately today, the standard for Black Belt has gotten so watered down that Black Belt is considered the norm! My question is, are these ten year olds really the same thing as the Black Belts of old? I think everyone with even a little background in the Martial Arts knows they probably aren't.

It's easy to explain how this happened. Sometime in the 1980's commercialized schools started realizing the main customer based was the six to ten year old age bracket. Mostly this was due to a huge series of hit movies that included the "Karate Kid" and "Teenage Mutant Turtles". School owners everywhere realized the key to a successful business operation was to keep these students attending and the parents paying for as long as possible. They also realized that kids loved getting recognition and awards, so basically what happened was that schools instituted a system where if a child showed up a certain number of times they would receive a new belt. Rank testing was essentially replaced with "promotion night".

To make matters worse, since kids were pushed through and promoted to ranks they probably shouldn't have received in the first place many schools instituted what was called "black belt camp". "Black Belt Camp" was instituted to help fix the log jam of kids who simply were not ready for Black Belt but were nearing the end of the program where payments would stop and Black Belt was promised.(In black belt camp, parents were required to drive there kids to endless camp classes at the end of a program so that the child could be "coached" into getting through the already watered down Black Belt requirements.)

Here's what I believe. I do believe that kids do need rewards and recognition. I believe that they do need encouragement. I do need they do need to feel a real sense of progress. But I also believe that all of that can and SHOULD be done OUTSIDE the rank system.

Changing the ranks system to retain students is like a public school handing out College degrees in order to keep the kids interested! It's just not the way education should be handled, and even though it does work, I think it's not in the best interest of the child long term.

We do try and offer awards, progress reports, encouragement, opportunities for recognition to our kids. We just don't confuse any of those wonderful things with "Black Belt".

Oh, and by the way; I think our kids are better for it - and it shows.

MMA needs more of these!

While it's true there are many wonderful MMA fighters who display great class, few athletes from any sport have been as great a champion as Evander Holyfield. What a role model!

Sign is up finally!

Just finished seeing the finished sign for the first time; quite a wait but I think it was worth it!

Fast Lane - The Slide

Just goes to show you that if you make people happy, you will sell a product. This commercial made me smile; it also made me want to own a Volkswagon!

Northwest Ohio can be a beautiful place (our friends patio)

We spent the afternoon Sunday with friends who live near the mouth of the Maumee. Their view and lifestyle was amazing! It just reminded me that we can create our own paradise wherever we live.

While some of us complain about our area; there are others squeezing every drop of good out of it. They can't imagine living anywhere else - why would they want to?

Joseph Hurtsellers - Sensei
Martial Arts Center /ohiomartialarts.com
419.385.1000

A new look to the front of the Glendale dojo.

Spent my Sunday morning helping a crew create this new look on Glendale ;I think it looks great!

An amazing place!

Every day I'm reminded of what a beautiful place I get to teach from. This is only a few steps from the FT donor front door with the street empty for the car show.

Ribbon cutting!

A terrific day at our ribbon cutting! (From left to right - me, Maumee mayor Tim Wagner and Davis Bethel from General Growth.

-From a few weeks ago-

Great quote of wisdom

A student recently sent this link and I thought a few might enjoy it; enjoy!

Why or what?

This is an amazing video. I believe if more people used this as a model for there family, there business, and there life, the world would change for the better. One of the best success related and practical talks I've heard, maybe ever!

The ideal student/dojo relationship

I was thinking the other day about what makes an ideal student. I think I could write a book about it, but here is one of the most important criteria.

First, is the student consistently taking more value from the dojo than what they are paying in tuition? In other words are they using Martial Arts as a tool to really improve their lives? Are they getting in better shape, are they in class regularly, are they STUDYING the Martial Arts, and using it to live a happier life?

Secondly; are they bringing more value on the mats for the other students than there would be if they were not present? In other words is the dojo a better place because of there attendance than it would be without them?

It's very clear, and it's very simple. This is the double win of a good student/dojo relationship. It's maintaining this relationship that assures a dojo has an atmosphere that helps others grow. Maintaining this relationship requires constant attention, but when it is present both student and dojo can accomplish truly great things.

A terrific quote.

Saw this quote and thought I'd pass it on today; a nice guideline to start the day with and makes me smile.

"Be easy about it. Don't rush into things. Savor them more. Make more plans
and be more deliberate and specific about the plans you are making, and in
all you do, let your dominant intent be to find that which pleasures you as
you imagine it. Let your desire for pleasure and your desire for feeling
good be your only guiding light. As you seek those thoughts that feel
good, you will always be in vibrational harmony with the Energy that is
your Source. And under those conditions, only good can come to you -- and
only good can come from you."

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in Philadelphia, PA on Tuesday, April 14th,
1998 #406

www.abraham-hicks.com

The philosophy of Martial Arts in one sentence.

Meditation raises our consciousness by allowing us to stop thinking. When we stop thinking we let go of all of our negative thoughts, concepts, and self limiting beliefs. Since our natural state of being is a powerful and joyous one, with practice meditation therefore creates happiness in our lives.

Another way to create this powerful natural unlimited state is by using positive thought purposely. There are many tools and techniques to do this; I teach and use many of these on a daily basis; but the long and short of all of these techniques is learning to consistently think in a direction that makes you feel more joy and more freedom. In other words to retrain yourself to always think good and kind things.

So in considering all of this I remembered Thumper's Mom from "Bambi". She said, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Now that's great advice for all of us; but I'm going to modify it only slightly and then you will have the entire internal philosophy of the Martial Arts as I teach them. The entire philosophy of the Martial Art in one sentence is:

"If you can't THINK anything nice, don't THINK anything at all (meditate)."

Easy to remember and true.