A Question of Motivation

This was the essay I submitted for my latest taekwondo promotion. It was a good point for introspection and to review my motivation to keep going. To setup the pix: I had fun collating my old belts, one of the boards I've broken, and my kicking paddle. I'm posting here coz it goes well with the "colors" theme I've got going. - Enjoy!

What A Black Belt Means To Me

It’s hard to attempt to explain it without falling back on clichés.

No pain, no gain;

Borne out of blood, sweat, and tears;

No guts, no glory;

Try and try until you succeed;

On one hand: It is a trophy embodying multiple bodily injuries and hundreds of dollars spent on fees.

On the other hand: It is a piece of cloth signifying the fruition of years of training and perseverance, and the accomplishment what I had set out to do.

That said, I succumb to another cliché to sum up: What you get by achieving your goal is not as important as what you become by achieving your goal.

I believe that knowledge, above all else, keeps me going.