| Have you ever been convinced to walk | | | | negativity that assaults our dreams, |
| away from your dreams by people who | | | | threatening to drown them out of |
| manage to throw enough self doubt at you | | | | existence? We must learn how to |
| to win that war of attrition? The | | | | reinforce our mental immune systems. I |
| constant day in and day out negativity | | | | call it "mental martial arts" ~ the |
| that pushes you to give up your dreams | | | | ability to shatter belief systems that |
| and conform to something you're not? | | | | imprison the mind, body and spirit. We |
| "What are you nuts? You can't do that!" | | | | must earn our Black Belts as Dreamers! |
| "Oh there's another hair brained | | | | So what is a Black Belt Dreamer? Why the |
| scheme!" "Get Real! Go get a real job!" | | | | concept of Mental Martial Arts and the |
| "Who do you think you are? You aren't | | | | term of "Black Belt Dreamer?" Because a |
| something special, stick to the things | | | | Black Belt in martial arts is the |
| you can handle." "What are you stupid or | | | | highest rank of achievement in the |
| something? Why do you think you can do | | | | skills of self-defense and mental |
| that?" "How on earth are you going to | | | | discipline. In my newly published book |
| accomplish that?" Lambasting you with | | | | "Becoming a Black Belt Dreamer ~ Unleash |
| negativity, giving you the message "Who | | | | The Dream Warrior Within!" I have |
| are you to become an author, or an | | | | defined a focused, strong, step-by |
| inventor, or any number of other things | | | | -process on how to stand your ground |
| your dreams may lead you to?" The litany | | | | against the onslaught of daily |
| goes on and on... | | | | negativity and nay-Sayers in your lives. |
| We are taught to focus on the | | | | This process utilizes martial arts |
| impossibility of our dreams as adults, | | | | philosophy and techniques, applying them |
| why things "can't be done"; to hide | | | | to mental self defense, building up our |
| behind the "how" instead of | | | | mental immune system to fight to regain |
| understanding that the first step is to | | | | and protect that which is most precious; |
| reconnect with our dreams in a | | | | our ability to dream. |
| magnificent flight of imagination. Don't | | | | Perhaps it would help to give you a |
| worry about the "how" first; the means | | | | little history on the subject and what |
| will come to you as part of the process. | | | | it means to me. In my life I have had to |
| The question of "How are you going to do | | | | lean how to defend myself, not just |
| that?" is so often used as a weapon | | | | physically, but mentally, emotionally |
| against us by negative people, proof of | | | | and spiritually as well. As a child I |
| our "imminent failure." We are told to | | | | grew up in a cult environment where I |
| prematurely focus on the "how" before | | | | was constantly told I was worthless, |
| the "what" and this stops the process | | | | useless and undeserving of love. I |
| before it has even begun. The energy you | | | | endured years of emotional and mental |
| generate by focusing on the what, will | | | | abuse. I grew up without knowing my |
| bring forth the how. Planning is a | | | | biological father, watched helplessly as |
| wonderful thing, there is nothing wrong | | | | my mother was repeatedly robbed of her |
| with that, however if you focus on the | | | | money and as my brother was exiled from |
| fact that you "don't" know how yet, then | | | | the family at a young age. As |
| you will miss all the possible "how's" | | | | devastating as this story sounds, it led |
| that show up when you begin to truly | | | | me to one undeniable conclusion: I am a |
| entertain that dream first. | | | | conqueror! At my lowest points in life |
| The fact of the matter is that we | | | | (there's been more than one), a powerful |
| possess more personal power than we even | | | | and imaginative warrior was always there |
| know...I read a definition of personal | | | | to rescue me. Now I know that warrior |
| power once that said that it is: "Your | | | | was me! |
| capacity to dream without limits and | | | | What started out as a passion for |
| fulfill those dreams through your | | | | martial arts has expanded into far more |
| imagination." I'm afraid I do not | | | | than that, it became not just a means of |
| recollect the author but I like the way | | | | learning physical self-defense and |
| they put it. The ability to manifest our | | | | mental discipline, but also fueled my |
| own reality is the power of creation | | | | ability to defend myself spiritually and |
| itself. I believe that developing these | | | | emotionally as well through the turmoil |
| abilities is a gift to ourselves and the | | | | of a very restrictive and challenging |
| world. | | | | upbringing. Why am I telling you this |
| It can be a long and sometimes difficult | | | | story? Because I strive to use my own |
| journey to re-discover those qualities | | | | experiences of oppression, abuse and |
| in ourselves after years of being | | | | isolation as real-life examples that |
| trained to deny their existence. We use | | | | every individual has the power to |
| our personal power as children without | | | | transcend any situation - no matter how |
| even knowing what we are doing but then | | | | hopeless it seems. That is how I became |
| we are trained what to believe, how to | | | | The Black Belt Dreamer - fighting, |
| think, and to limit ourselves by having | | | | surviving and winning against all odds. |
| our perception and interpretation of the | | | | I believe that regardless of our |
| world dictated to us by our | | | | mistakes, traumas and tragedies, we all |
| conditioning. As a child our personal | | | | have an inner dream warrior that |
| power is limitless, but as we grow older | | | | empowers us to walk through the fires o |
| it so often remains untapped. | | | | f life and create the reality we truly |
| So how do we overcome this onslaught of | | | | desire. |