12/31/2017
Shihan's New Year's Message 2018
"The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it." - Chinese Proverb
Over my years in the Army and in civilian life as well, I have had barriers placed in front of me. I've had peers and those in charge tell me "don't bother, it can't be done" or "you won't be able to do that!" I've even had one old retired senior Sergeant (that I used to look up to) tell me that "sometimes they make mistakes" after hearing about my selection for this deployment! Hearing things like that can have devastating effects on you because Words do have Power, but there's a catch... They only have power IF YOU ALLOW THEM TOO! Do not let others dictate your path. Your opinion of your abilities is truly the only one that matters. Will you make mistakes along the way? Of course you will! That is life. Best you can do is give your best effort, learn from your mistakes, and make the best of EVERY situation you are in. Control what you can and make sure you are in the best position you can be because opportunities don't always present themselves and aren't always plentiful, so be ready for them when they do come by!
It doesn't matter where you came from. All that matters is where you are going! During this time I like to take a little time do the following: 1) Give Thanks for what I have and the opportunities I have been challenged with, 2) Do a serious self-review on my performance over the past year, then 3) Set REALISTIC Goals of what I want to achieve over the upcoming year, and then Finally 4) Make a plan, write it down, and execute it! This is how you start moving forward.
No matter where you are, 2018 will be as awesome or horrible as you make it out to be. In reality, that will be a choice you must make every single day. When you wake up, you must decide then whether it will be a good day or not. Doesn't matter what your workload is or going to be. Attitude and Outlook governs everything! Norman Vincent Peale once said, "Change your thoughts and you change your world." I am living proof of that. If I accepted what others said about me as truth, I likely would've been out of the Army by now, never became a Black Belt or owned a school, working a low level job somewhere, possibly divorced and miserable! But, no! I refused to accept the negativity of others, and I actively look to keep moving forward! Even if the progress is slow or you get a setback, make every effort to make the net result positive!
I truly hope that this upcoming year is wonderful and prosperous for you! I am proud to be your Chief Instructor and can't wait to get back from this deployment and get back in the dojo. I will always be here to help you provided you are willing to help yourself in the process as well.
Shihan Tony Abatecola
